Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पार्वणोक्तविधानेन त्रिदैवत्यमदैविकम् । प्रेतमुद्दिश्य कर्तव्यमेको द्दिष्टं च पार्थिव

Transliteration

pārvaṇoktavidhānena tridaivatyamadaivikam | pretamuddiśya kartavyameko ddiṣṭaṃ ca pārthiva

Translation

പാർവണ ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ ഉപദേശിച്ച വിധിപ്രകാരം, ത്രിദൈവത്യാർപ്പണം മറ്റു (അപ്രാസംഗിക) ദേവതകളെ ആവാഹിക്കാതെ നടത്തണം. പ്രേതനെ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച്, ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഏകോദ്ദിഷ്ട കർമ്മം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• पार्वणोक्तविधानेन: by the procedure prescribed for the pārvaṇa (śrāddha)
• पार्वणोक्तविधानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-आश्रय ‘विधान’; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by the procedure stated for the pārvaṇa’

• त्रिदैवत्यम्: the three-deity (offering)
• त्रिदैवत्यम्: Karma/Topic (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + दैवत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘having three deities/for three deities’

• अदैविकम्: non-divine (not meant for gods)
• अदैविकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + दैविक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; त्रिदैवत्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘not for gods (i.e., for the preta)’

• प्रेतम्: the departed spirit (preta)
• प्रेतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: addressing/with reference to
• उद्दिश्य: Purpose/Reference (प्रयोजन/विषय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु) → उद्दिश्य (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययीभाव (gerund); ‘having intended/with reference to’

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi/Obligation (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्य-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-भाव: ‘is to be done’

• एकः: one/single
• एकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (अर्थतः ‘one (offering/act)’)

• उद्दिष्टम्: the uddiṣṭa offering/rite
• उद्दिष्टम्: Karma/Topic (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु) → उद्दिष्ट (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘the uddiṣṭa (rite/offering)’

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• पार्थिव: O king/earthly ruler
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; vocative ‘pārthiva’ indicates address to a king in the narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting near a tīrtha: a seated performer with darbha grass, three small offering stations/vessels, and a focused altar without additional deity icons; the departed is invoked as preta for ekoddiṣṭa.

Characters & Entities

• pārvana (śrāddha)
• tridaivatya
• preta
• ekoddiṣṭa
• pārthiva (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites for the departed are carefully structured; following the correct framework honors the dead and sustains dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it is a rite-definition within the larger tīrtha discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform ekoddiṣṭa for the preta, using the pārvana-stated framework with the tridaivatya component, avoiding unrelated deity-invocations.