Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तथैते प्रथमं सृष्टाः पशवोऽत्र नराधिप । सस्यानि सृजता तेन तिलाः पूर्वं च निर्मिताः

Transliteration

tathaite prathamaṃ sṛṣṭāḥ paśavo'tra narādhipa | sasyāni sṛjatā tena tilāḥ pūrvaṃ ca nirmitāḥ

Translation

तसेच, हे नराधिप, हे पशू येथे प्रारंभीच निर्माण झाले. आणि त्याने धान्यसृष्टी केली तेव्हा सर्वप्रथम तीळ निर्माण झाले।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that way
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीति-वाचक (adverb: 'thus/in that manner')

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रथमम्: first, at first
• प्रथमम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे अव्यय-प्रयोग; काल/क्रम-वाचक (adverb: 'first/at first')

• सृष्टाः: created
• सृष्टाः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पशवः: animals, beasts
• पशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश-वाचक (adverb of place: 'here')

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नराणाम् अधिपः); पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन (8th case/Vocative), एकवचन

• सस्यानि: crops, grains
• सस्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

• सृजता: by (him) creating
• सृजता: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ); पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तेन: by him, by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental: 'by him/thereby')

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पूर्वम्: before, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; काल-वाचक (adverb: 'formerly/before')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: 'and')

• निर्मिताः: made, fashioned
• निर्मिताः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage links first-created animals with first-created sesame; a ritual tray shows black sesame seeds beside darbha and water pot, indicating pitṛ-tarpaṇa readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Tila (sesame)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha substances are sanctified by origin: sesame is singled out as primordial among grains, underscoring its ritual potency for pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Tīrthamāhātmya’s śrāddha teaching; it does not name a particular site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It elevates tila as a primary śrāddha/tarpaṇa ingredient by stating it was created first among grains.