Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एतान्येव ह्यमंत्राणि शूद्रः कारयते सदा । नित्यं षड्दैवतं श्राद्धं हन्तकारोऽग्नि तर्पणम्

Transliteration

etānyeva hyamaṃtrāṇi śūdraḥ kārayate sadā | nityaṃ ṣaḍdaivataṃ śrāddhaṃ hantakāro'gni tarpaṇam

Translation

ഇവ തന്നെയാണ് മന്ത്രരഹിത കർമ്മങ്ങൾ; ശൂദ്രൻ നിത്യം ചെയ്യിക്കാം—ഷഡ്ദൈവതബന്ധിത നിത്യ ശ്രാദ്ധവും ഹുതകാര അഗ്നിക്കുള്ള തർപ്പണവും.

Word by Word

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; causal/emphatic)

• अमन्त्राणि: without mantras
• अमन्त्राणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग-निषेध (without mantras)

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कारयते: causes to be done/has performed
• कारयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → कारय (धातु-प्रत्यय)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• नित्यम्: daily/constantly
• नित्यम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• षड्दैवतं: having six deities
• षड्दैवतं: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (षड् दैवतं यस्य तत्)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (ancestral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हन्तकारः: one who utters ‘hant!’ (a ritual exclamation)
• हन्तकारः: Predicate Noun (Vidheyapada/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन्त (अव्यय/निपात) + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (हन्त इति शब्दं करोति/उच्चारयति)

• अग्नि: fire (Agni)
• अग्नि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तर्पणम्: libation/satiating offering
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप् (धातु) → तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble householder performs amantra śrāddha: offering piṇḍa/anna and water, with a small sacred fire nearby for tarpaṇa; elders/guests are respectfully seated; the mood is quiet and disciplined.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual duty is upheld according to eligibility; devotion and continuity of practice are emphasized even when mantra-recitation is restricted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it focuses on dharmic practice within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions amaṃtra performance, daily ṣaḍdaivata śrāddha, and agni-tarpaṇa (oblations to fire).