Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

धिग्धिक्पापसमाचार क्षत्रियापसदात्मक । किं कश्चिद्ब्राह्मणोऽश्नाति प्रेतश्राद्धे विशेषतः

Transliteration

dhigdhikpāpasamācāra kṣatriyāpasadātmaka | kiṃ kaścidbrāhmaṇo'śnāti pretaśrāddhe viśeṣataḥ

Translation

“ധിക് ധിക്! പാപാചാരിയേ, ക്ഷത്രിയരിൽ അധമനേ! ഏതെങ്കിലും ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ നിന്റെ അന്നം കഴിക്കുമോ—വിശേഷിച്ച് പ്രേതശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ?”

Word by Word

• धिग्धिक्: shame! fie!
• धिग्धिक्: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिग्धिक् (अव्यय)
• Form: निन्दार्थक-निपात/उद्गार (interjection of censure)

• पापसमाचार: O one of sinful conduct
• पापसमाचार: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + समाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—पापस्य समाचारः (one whose conduct is sinful)

• क्षत्रियापसदात्मक: O one of the nature of a Kṣatriya outcaste
• क्षत्रियापसदात्मक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षत्रिय + अपसद + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—क्षत्रियाणाम् अपसदः (worst of Kṣatriyas) + आत्मक (of such nature)

• किम्: what?/is it that
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle: ‘what?/whether?’)

• कश्चित्: anyone/some (person)
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (someone/any)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अश्नाति: eats
• अश्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रेतश्राद्धे: in the preta-śrāddha (rite)
• प्रेतश्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—प्रेतस्य श्राद्धम् (śrāddha for the departed)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/विशेषवाचक (adverb: ‘especially’)

Speaker

Unspecified brāhmaṇa(s) rebuking the king (inferred from direct address and context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa, eyes blazing, denounces the king as sinful and unfit; the king recoils, shamed; nearby, a śrāddha setup with kuśa grass, water pot, and piṇḍa plate underscores the gravity of the rite.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is not merely transactional; moral conduct and ritual propriety shape whether offerings are considered acceptable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s sacred-city narrative; this verse focuses on śrāddha ethics rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references preta-śrāddha and the question of whether brāhmaṇas will accept and eat the śrāddha offering.