Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अन्यस्थानोद्भवैर्विप्रैर्यच्छ्राद्धं क्रियते ध्रुवम् । संपूर्णं व्यर्थतां याति नागराणां क्रियापरैः

Transliteration

anyasthānodbhavairviprairyacchrāddhaṃ kriyate dhruvam | saṃpūrṇaṃ vyarthatāṃ yāti nāgarāṇāṃ kriyāparaiḥ

Translation

മറ്റിടങ്ങളിൽ ജനിച്ച ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർ ചെയ്യുന്ന ശ്രാദ്ധം, പൂർണ്ണമായി ചെയ്താലും—ക്രിയാപരായണരായ നാഗരർക്കു—നിശ്ചയമായും ഫലഹീനമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अन्यस्थानोद्भवैः: by non-local-born
• अन्यस्थानोद्भवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य-स्थान-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (विप्रैः)

• विप्रैः: by Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: certainly)

• संपूर्णम्: even if complete/fully done
• संपूर्णम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यत्/श्राद्धम्)

• व्यर्थताम्: fruitlessness
• व्यर्थताम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यर्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• याति: goes to; becomes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• नागराणाम्: of the Nāgaras
• नागराणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• क्रियापरैः: by those devoted to (proper) rites
• क्रियापरैः: Karana (Agent group/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रिया-पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—(क्रियायां परः) सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (नागराणाम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting in a sacred town: a householder offers piṇḍa and water to seated brāhmaṇas; a subtle contrast shows ‘outsider’ brāhmaṇas at the edge, while local Nāgara recipients sit at the center, indicating kṣetra-adhikāra.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Nāgara
• śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Completeness of ritual is not enough; proper qualification and tradition of the officiant are presented as essential for spiritual result.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not praise a specific pilgrimage place; it reinforces a Nāgara-specific ritual rule within the māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It warns that śrāddha performed by brāhmaṇas from other places becomes ineffective for Nāgaras, even if executed fully.