Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

वैतरिण्याश्च संप्राप्तौ प्रेतस्तृप्तिमवाप्नुयात् । एकोद्दिष्टं दैवहीनमेकार्घैकपवित्रकम्

Transliteration

vaitariṇyāśca saṃprāptau pretastṛptimavāpnuyāt | ekoddiṣṭaṃ daivahīnamekārghaikapavitrakam

Translation

Apabila sampai ke Vaitaraṇī, roh si mati memperoleh ketenteraman. Upacara Ekoddiṣṭa (Śrāddha) dilakukan tanpa persembahan kepada para dewa, dengan satu arghya dan satu pavitra (cincin rumput kuśa).

Word by Word

• vaitariṇyāḥ: of the Vaitaraṇī (river)
• vaitariṇyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaitariṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः (conjunction)

• saṃprāptau: upon reaching/at the arrival
• saṃprāptau: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃprāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• preta: of the departed spirit
• preta: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular) (समासपूर्वपद-सम्बन्धः)

• tṛptim: satisfaction
• tṛptim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• avāpnuyāt: may obtain
• avāpnuyāt: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्; धातुः: √आप् (to obtain) उपसर्गः अव

• ekoddiṣṭam: the ekoddiṣṭa (single-offering śrāddha)
• ekoddiṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka + uddiṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √diś/√diś? ‘उद्दिश्’ caus./ppp)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (एकस्य उद्दिष्टम्)

• daivahīnam: devoid of offerings to the gods
• daivahīnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daiva + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दैवेन हीनम्)

• eka: single
• eka: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); संख्याविशेषणम्

• argha: arghya offering
• argha: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: argha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (समासाङ्ग)

• eka: single
• eka: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (समासाङ्ग)

• pavitrakam: ring of kuśa (pavitraka)
• pavitrakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pavitraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn riverbank scene at Vaitaraṇī: priest and karta offer a single arghya with a kuśa pavitra ring; the river appears as a liminal, otherworldly crossing, suggesting the preta’s relief and satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The rite is tailored to the departed’s transitional state: focused offerings and purity tokens are prescribed to secure the preta’s peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vaitaraṇī is referenced as a liminal sacred crossing associated with the departed’s journey.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha is to be daivahīna (without daiva portion), using one arghya and one pavitra (kuśa ring).