Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

वैतरिण्याश्च संप्राप्तौ प्रेतस्तृप्तिमवाप्नुयात् । एकोद्दिष्टं दैवहीनमेकार्घैकपवित्रकम्

Transliteration

vaitariṇyāśca saṃprāptau pretastṛptimavāpnuyāt | ekoddiṣṭaṃ daivahīnamekārghaikapavitrakam

Translation

വൈതരണിയെ പ്രാപിക്കുമ്പോൾ പ്രേതന് തൃപ്തി ലഭിക്കുന്നു. ഏകോദ്ദിഷ്ട ശ്രാദ്ധം ദേവതർപ്പണമില്ലാതെ, ഒരു അർഘ്യവും ഒരു പവിത്രവും (കുശവളയം) കൊണ്ടാണ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്।

Word by Word

• vaitariṇyāḥ: of the Vaitaraṇī (river)
• vaitariṇyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaitariṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः (conjunction)

• saṃprāptau: upon reaching/at the arrival
• saṃprāptau: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃprāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• preta: of the departed spirit
• preta: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular) (समासपूर्वपद-सम्बन्धः)

• tṛptim: satisfaction
• tṛptim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• avāpnuyāt: may obtain
• avāpnuyāt: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्; धातुः: √आप् (to obtain) उपसर्गः अव

• ekoddiṣṭam: the ekoddiṣṭa (single-offering śrāddha)
• ekoddiṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka + uddiṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √diś/√diś? ‘उद्दिश्’ caus./ppp)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (एकस्य उद्दिष्टम्)

• daivahīnam: devoid of offerings to the gods
• daivahīnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daiva + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दैवेन हीनम्)

• eka: single
• eka: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); संख्याविशेषणम्

• argha: arghya offering
• argha: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: argha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (समासाङ्ग)

• eka: single
• eka: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (समासाङ्ग)

• pavitrakam: ring of kuśa (pavitraka)
• pavitrakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pavitraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn riverbank scene at Vaitaraṇī: priest and karta offer a single arghya with a kuśa pavitra ring; the river appears as a liminal, otherworldly crossing, suggesting the preta’s relief and satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The rite is tailored to the departed’s transitional state: focused offerings and purity tokens are prescribed to secure the preta’s peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vaitaraṇī is referenced as a liminal sacred crossing associated with the departed’s journey.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha is to be daivahīna (without daiva portion), using one arghya and one pavitra (kuśa ring).