Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

शर्मन्नर्घ्यादिकर्तव्ये शर्मा तर्पणकर्मणि । शर्मणे सस्यदाने च शर्मणोऽक्षय्यके विधौ

Transliteration

śarmannarghyādikartavye śarmā tarpaṇakarmaṇi | śarmaṇe sasyadāne ca śarmaṇo'kṣayyake vidhau

Translation

അർഘ്യാദി അർപ്പണങ്ങളിൽ ‘ശർമൻ’ എന്ന നാമരൂപം പ്രയോഗിക്കണം. തർപ്പണകർമ്മത്തിൽ ‘ശർമാ’; സസ്യദാനം (ധാന്യ/അന്നദാനം)യിൽ ‘ശർമണേ’; അക്ഷയ്യദാനവിധിയിൽ ‘ശർമണഃ/ശർമണോ’ രൂപം ഉപയോഗിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• शर्मन्: (the name-stem) ‘śarman’
• शर्मन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नाम), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे नामनिर्देश (name-stem)

• अर्घ्यादिकर्तव्ये: in the rite to be done beginning with arghya
• अर्घ्यादिकर्तव्ये: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्यादिकर्तव्य (प्रातिपदिक; अर्घ्य + आदि + कर्तव्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• शर्मा: ‘śarmā’ (nominative form)
• शर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नाम), प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; प्रातिपदिकस्य रूपनिर्देश

• तर्पणकर्मणि: in the tarpaṇa rite
• तर्पणकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पणकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; तर्पण + कर्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• शर्मणे: to/for ‘śarmaṇe’
• शर्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नाम), चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

• सस्यदाने: in the giving of grain/crops
• सस्यदाने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्यदान (प्रातिपदिक; सस्य + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• शर्मणः: of ‘śarmaṇaḥ’
• शर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नाम), षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• अक्षय्यके: in the akṣayya-offering context
• अक्षय्यके: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• विधौ: in the procedure/rite
• विधौ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of four small ritual moments: (1) arghya offering with a small vessel, (2) tarpaṇa water-libation, (3) sasya-dāna with sheaves of grain, (4) akṣayya-dāna with a permanent gift (cow/gold/land symbol). Each panel bears the corresponding name-form: śarman, śarmā, śarmaṇe, śarmaṇaḥ.

Characters & Entities

• arghya
• tarpaṇa
• sasya-dāna
• akṣayya-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The rite is strengthened when offerings are accompanied by correctly formed names and formulas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Different ritual contexts require different name-forms (śarman/śarmā/śarmaṇe/śarmaṇo) for arghya, tarpaṇa, grain-dāna, and akṣayya-dāna.