Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

भर्तृयज्ञ उवाच । श्राद्धार्हैर्ब्राह्मणैः कार्यं श्राद्धं दर्शे तु पार्वणम् । विपरीतं न कर्तव्यं श्राद्धमेकं कथंचन

Transliteration

bhartṛyajña uvāca | śrāddhārhairbrāhmaṇaiḥ kāryaṃ śrāddhaṃ darśe tu pārvaṇam | viparītaṃ na kartavyaṃ śrāddhamekaṃ kathaṃcana

Translation

ഭർത്തൃയജ്ഞൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ശ്രാദ്ധാർഹരായ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരെക്കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്യണം; അമാവാസ്യാദിവസം പാർവണ ശ്രാദ്ധം നിർവ്വഹിക്കണം. ഏതൊരു സാഹചര്യത്തിലും ഒരൊറ്റ ശ്രാദ്ധവും വിപരീതവിധിയിൽ ചെയ്യരുത്.

Word by Word

• भर्तृयज्ञः: Bhartṛyajña (name)
• भर्तृयज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृयज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वक्तृ-नाम (speaker’s name)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्राद्धार्हैः: by those fit for śrāddha
• श्राद्धार्हैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्राद्धार्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: श्राद्धस्य अर्हः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कार्यं: to be done / should be performed
• कार्यं: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• श्राद्धं: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• दर्शे: on the new-moon day (darśa)
• दर्शे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अमावास्या-कालवाचक

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• पार्वणम्: the pārvaṇa (type of śrāddha)
• पार्वणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; श्राद्ध-विशेषः

• विपरीतम्: the opposite (procedure)
• विपरीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपरीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्मपद)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done / should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → कर्तव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; निषेध-विधेय

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एकम्: one / single
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम्

• कथंचन: in any manner whatsoever
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘कथम्+चन’ = ‘in any way’

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhartṛyajña instructs a householder: a teacher-figure seated with scripture, pointing to a lunar disc symbolizing darśa; nearby, a prepared śrāddha altar with piṇḍas and vessels; eligible brāhmaṇas seated in readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Bhartṛyajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites must be done with integrity—right time, right method, and right recipients—because dharma is upheld through correctness, not mere intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader discourse belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, though this verse itself is a procedural rule for śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the pārvaṇa śrāddha on the Darśa/Amāvasyā day, and avoid any improper (viparīta) performance.