Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गन्धधूपादिकं सर्वं पुनरेव प्रदापयेत् । पितृपूर्वं समुच्चार्य वर्जयेच्च चतुर्थकम्

Transliteration

gandhadhūpādikaṃ sarvaṃ punareva pradāpayet | pitṛpūrvaṃ samuccārya varjayecca caturthakam

Translation

गंध, धूप इत्यादी सर्व उपचार पुन्हा अर्पण करावेत. पितृपूर्वक क्रमाने उच्चार करून, चौथा (भाग/अर्पण) वर्ज्य करावा.

Word by Word

• गन्धधूपादिकम्: perfume, incense, etc.
• गन्धधूपादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha + dhūpa + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थ समास (गन्धश्च धूपश्च आदयश्च), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• प्रदापयेत्: should offer/give
• प्रदापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); णिच् (causative) भाव: ‘cause to give/offer’

• पितृपूर्वम्: starting with the fathers
• पितृपूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pitṛ + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां पूर्वम्), अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial)

• समुच्चार्य: having recited/uttered
• समुच्चार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ud-√car (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) from समुच्चारयति (causative of √car/√car?; conventional verb ‘to utter’), अव्ययभाव

• वर्जयेत्: should avoid
• वर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: varj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• चतुर्थकम्: the fourth (rite/portion)
• चतुर्थकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturthaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/royal listener (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Incense smoke rises as the performer re-offers gandha and dhūpa before the three pitr̥ stations; a deliberate empty space indicates the omitted fourth; orderly recitation posture.

Characters & Entities

• pitṛ
• gandha
• dhūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Correct order and restraint in offerings are integral to dharma; precision itself is a form of reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in the verse; it belongs to the broader Tīrthamāhātmya ritual guidance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Re-offer gandha, dhūpa, etc., reciting with pitṛs first, and omit the “fourth” portion/recipient.