Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं विनापि दातव्यं तद्दिने मधुना सह । पायसं ब्राह्मणाग्र्येभ्यः सघृतं तृप्तिकारणात्

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ vināpi dātavyaṃ taddine madhunā saha | pāyasaṃ brāhmaṇāgryebhyaḥ saghṛtaṃ tṛptikāraṇāt

Translation

ବିଧିବଦ୍ଧ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧ ନ କଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ, ସେହି ଦିନ ମଧୁ ସହିତ ଦାନ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଦେବା ଉଚିତ। ପିତୃତୃପ୍ତିର କାରଣରୁ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନଙ୍କୁ ଘିଅ ସହିତ ପାୟସ (ଖିର) ପ୍ରଦାନ କରିବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

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

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition): 'without'

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle): 'also/even'

• dātavyam: should be given
• dātavyam: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (should be given)

• tad: on that
• tad: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (dine इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• dine: day
• dine: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• madhunā: with honey
• madhunā: Sahakari/Instrument (Accompaniment/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (postposition): 'together with'

• pāyasam: rice-pudding
• pāyasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• brāhmaṇāgryebhyaḥ: to the foremost brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇāgryebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa-agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (brāhmaṇānām agryāḥ)

• saghṛtam: with ghee
• saghṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (sa = 'with' + ghṛta) विशेषण (qualifying pāyasam)

• tṛptikāraṇāt: because it causes satisfaction
• tṛptikāraṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti-kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tṛpteḥ kāraṇam)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator/teacher in Nāgarakhaṇḍa (addressing a king; context suggests instruction to a ruler)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual feeding scene: brāhmaṇas seated in a row on kuśa mats; servers present bowls of pāyasa glistening with ghee and a small vessel of honey; the donor offers with reverence, mentally dedicating to Pitṛs.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere dāna for the Pitṛs—especially feeding worthy brāhmaṇas—can please the ancestors even if a complete śrāddha cannot be performed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the snippet emphasizes pitṛ-related observance connected to that tīrtha-context rather than naming a single site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give pāyasa (sweet milk-rice) with ghee and honey to eminent brāhmaṇas as a pitṛ-pleasing act.