Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणो वचनाद्राजन्भूतप्रेतैश्च दानवैः । तेनैकोद्दिष्टमेवात्र कर्तव्यं न तु पार्वणम्

Transliteration

brahmaṇo vacanādrājanbhūtapretaiśca dānavaiḥ | tenaikoddiṣṭamevātra kartavyaṃ na tu pārvaṇam

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ! ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ വചനത്താലും ഭൂതപ്രേതദാനവന്മാരാലും ഇവിടെ ഏകോദ്ദിഷ്ട ശ്രാദ്ധം മാത്രമേ ചെയ്യാവൂ, പാർവണശ്രാദ്ധം പാടില്ല.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Source/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• वचनात्: from the word/command
• वचनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचन (Abl. sg.); हेत्वर्थे (because of/from the statement)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Voc. sg.)

• भूतप्रेतैः: by bhūtas and pretas
• भूतप्रेतैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); द्वन्द्वः (भूताश्च प्रेताश्च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• दानवैः: by dānavas (demons)
• दानवैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.)

• तेन: therefore, by that
• तेन: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr. sg.); तस्मात्/अतः अर्थे (therefore/by that)

• एकोद्‌दिष्टम्: the ekoddiṣṭa (single-offering śrāddha)
• एकोद्‌दिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + उद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √दिश् + उद्, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); तत्पुरुषः (एकस्य उद्दिष्टम्)

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (gerundive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष

• पार्वणम्: the pārvaṇa śrāddha (performed on parvan)
• पार्वणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens to a sage explaining that, by Brahmā’s ordinance, only ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha is to be done here; the background hints at a liminal cremation-ground/tīrtha edge where unseen bhūtas and pretas linger.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• bhūta
• preta
• dānava
• ekoddiṣṭa
• pārvaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural injunction (āgamic/purāṇic authority) determines the proper rite; following it preserves the intended spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The snippet focuses on ritual classification rather than praising a named tīrtha; it remains within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-instruction context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It explicitly commands ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha and prohibits pārvaṇa śrāddha in this circumstance.