Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अनिष्टमपि राजेन्द्र तस्माच्छ्राद्धं समा चरेत् । विप्रपादोदकं यत्तु भूमौ पतति पार्थिव

Transliteration

aniṣṭamapi rājendra tasmācchrāddhaṃ samā caret | viprapādodakaṃ yattu bhūmau patati pārthiva

Translation

Oleh itu, wahai tuan segala raja, hendaklah śrāddha dilaksanakan menurut tatacara walaupun keadaan tampak tidak menguntungkan. Kerana, wahai raja, air basuhan kaki seorang brāhmaṇa apabila jatuh ke bumi membawa manfaat suci.

Word by Word

• अनिष्टम्: undesirable thing/inauspiciousness
• अनिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपवाद (particle: 'even/also')

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः राजन् + इन्द्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'king among kings')

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

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

• समाचरेत्: should duly perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विप्रपादोदकम्: water from a brāhmaṇa’s feet
• विप्रपादोदकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + पाद + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः विप्रस्य पादस्य उदकम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधानार्थक (particle)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पतति: falls
• पतति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra/pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa’s feet are washed; the water drips onto the ground, depicted as luminous drops sanctifying the earth; the performer stands with humility, offering a seat and water.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Viprapādodaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not abandon pitṛ-dharma due to discomfort or adversity; śrāddha carries sanctity and should be upheld steadily.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya’s śrāddha instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It urges regular performance of śrāddha and introduces the sacred role of viprapādodaka (water from washing a brāhmaṇa’s feet) within the rite.