Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

एकैकं वा त्रयो वाऽपि स्युरेकैकं वा पृथक्पृथक । पैतृकान्स्थाप्प चक्रेण पितॄणां परितुष्टये

Transliteration

ekaikaṃ vā trayo vā'pi syurekaikaṃ vā pṛthakpṛthaka | paitṛkānsthāppa cakreṇa pitṝṇāṃ parituṣṭaye

Translation

ഒന്നൊന്നായി, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മൂന്നുപേരെ ഒരുമിച്ച്, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വേർതിരിച്ച് ഒന്നൊന്നായി—പൈതൃക പിതൃകളെ വൃത്താകാര ക്രമത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിക്കണം; അങ്ങനെ പിതൃകൾ പൂർണ്ണമായി തൃപ്തരാകും।

Word by Word

• एकैकम्: one by one
• एकैकम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Distribution)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव; क्रियाविशेषण (one by one)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Karta (Subject, with स्युः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (numeral used substantively)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• स्युः: may be/should be
• स्युः: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकैकम्: one by one
• एकैकम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव; क्रियाविशेषण (one by one)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (separately)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• पैतृकान्: ancestral (offerings/rites)
• पैतृकान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (elliptically ‘पितॄन्/पिण्डान्’ etc. contextually; here ‘paitṛkān’ = ancestral ones)

• स्थाप्य: having placed
• स्थाप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having placed’

• चक्रेण: by a circular arrangement / in a circle
• चक्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; करणवाचक (by means of a circle/arrangement)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• परितुष्टये: for the satisfaction
• परितुष्टये: Sampradāna/Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति (4th/Dative); एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for satisfaction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Top-down mandala composition: a circular ring of darbha seats/offerings around a central water vessel; the officiant completes the circle while chanting; pitṛs are suggested as subtle ancestral silhouettes receiving satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• paitṛka (paternal line)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order is not mere formality; correct arrangement is taught as a means to genuinely please and uplift the ancestral line.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but this verse focuses on procedure rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place paternal-line Pitṛs in a circular sequence; the grouping can be one-by-one or three together depending on feasibility.