Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

रोहिताश्व उवाच । अप्राप्तखड्गमांसस्य तथा वाध्रीणसस्य च । कथं श्राद्धं भवेद्विप्र पितॄणां तृप्तिका रकम्

Transliteration

rohitāśva uvāca | aprāptakhaḍgamāṃsasya tathā vādhrīṇasasya ca | kathaṃ śrāddhaṃ bhavedvipra pitṝṇāṃ tṛptikā rakam

Translation

രോഹിതാശ്വൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വിപ്രാ! ഖഡ്ഗ (ഗണ്ഡമൃഗം) മാംസവും അതുപോലെ വാധ്രീണസ മാംസവും ലഭിക്കാതിരുന്നാൽ, പിതൃകൾക്ക് തൃപ്തി നൽകുന്ന ശ്രാദ്ധം എങ്ങനെ നടത്താം?

Word by Word

• rohitāśvaḥ: Rohitāśva
• rohitāśvaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rohitāśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• aprāpta: not obtained/unavailable
• aprāpta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a+prāpta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (negated past participle), पुं/नपुंस-समर्थ; समासाङ्ग (in compound)

• khaḍga: rhinoceros
• khaḍga: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; समासाङ्ग (in khaḍgamāṃsasya)

• māṃsasya: of (rhinoceros) meat
• māṃsasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः: खड्ग + मांस (‘meat of rhinoceros’)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/likewise)

• vādhrīṇasasya: of vādhrīṇasa (animal)
• vādhrīṇasasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vādhrīṇasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• bhavet: would be/should occur
• bhavet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• vipra: O brāhmaṇa
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• tṛptikārakam: causing satisfaction
• tṛptikārakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛpti+kāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः: तृप्ति + कारक (‘causing satisfaction’)

Speaker

Rohitāśva

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Rohitāśva respectfully questions sage Mārkaṇḍeya about inability to procure rare meats; the sage listens calmly.

Characters & Entities

• Rohitāśva
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• pitṛ (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practical: when ideal materials are unavailable, one should seek scripturally approved alternatives rather than abandon the rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is part of a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but the verse itself focuses on śrāddha procedure rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It raises the issue of availability of specific sanctioned meats and asks how to proceed with śrāddha to ensure Pitṛ satisfaction.