Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

छिद्यंते विविधैः शस्त्रैस्तत्रस्था ये मुहुर्मुहुः । चतुर्मासिकश्राद्धेन मुक्तिस्तेषां प्रजायते

Transliteration

chidyaṃte vividhaiḥ śastraistatrasthā ye muhurmuhuḥ | caturmāsikaśrāddhena muktisteṣāṃ prajāyate

Translation

Di sana, mereka yang tinggal dipotong berkali-kali dengan pelbagai jenis senjata. Dengan śrāddha empat bulanan, terbitlah pembebasan bagi mereka.

Word by Word

• chidyante: are cut
• chidyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √chid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (are cut)

• vividhaiḥ: by various
• vividhaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• śastraiḥ: with weapons
• śastraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• sthāḥ: situated
• sthāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) → stha (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त/विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्र-स्थाः = situated there

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• muhuḥ: again and again
• muhuḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक)

• muhuḥ: repeatedly
• muhuḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्ति; यमक)

• caturmāsikaśrāddhena: by the four-monthly Śrāddha
• caturmāsikaśrāddhena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur + māsika + śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः (चतुर्मासिकं श्राद्धम्)

• muktiḥ: liberation
• muktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• prajāyate: arises
• prajāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raurava (Naraka)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside Raurava, a grim tableau of blades and axes repeatedly striking the condemned; above or beside, a peaceful domestic/riverbank śrāddha scene indicating the ‘bridge’ of merit.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual responsibility toward ancestors is portrayed as spiritually potent, capable of mitigating even repeated karmic suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is identified in this verse; the emphasis is on the efficacy of śrāddha within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Caturmāsika (four-monthly) śrāddha.