Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

यावत्सपिंडता नैव न तावच्छ्राद्धमाचरेत्

Transliteration

yāvatsapiṃḍatā naiva na tāvacchrāddhamācaret

Translation

जोपर्यंत सपिंडता (सपिंडीकरण) होत नाही, तोपर्यंत श्राद्ध करु नये।

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative: ‘as long as/so long as’)

• सपिण्डता: sapinda-relationship (sharing funeral cake)
• सपिण्डता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपिण्डता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/negation particle

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/particle (only/indeed)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/negation particle

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative: ‘so long/then’)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु) + आ-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unknown (continuing narrator in Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual diagram-like scene: priest indicates two stages—preta rites on one side, sapiṇḍīkaraṇa on the other—showing that śrāddha is deferred until incorporation; vessels, kuśa, and piṇḍas arranged in orderly progression.

Characters & Entities

• Sapiṇḍatā
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rituals are meaningful when performed in proper sequence; dharma is upheld through correct order and eligibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is procedural (śrāddha eligibility) within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya setting, not a direct tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not undertake śrāddha until sapiṇḍatā (sapiṇḍīkaraṇa) has been completed.