Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आनर्त उवाच । कस्माच्छस्त्रहतानां च प्रोक्ता श्राद्धे चतुर्दशी । नान्येषां दिवसे तत्र संशयोऽयं वदस्व मे

Transliteration

ānarta uvāca | kasmācchastrahatānāṃ ca proktā śrāddhe caturdaśī | nānyeṣāṃ divase tatra saṃśayo'yaṃ vadasva me

Translation

ଆନର୍ତ କହିଲେ—ଶସ୍ତ୍ରହତମାନଙ୍କ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧ ପାଇଁ ଚତୁର୍ଦ୍ଦଶୀ କାହିଁକି ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ କୁହାଗଲା? ଏବଂ ସେହି ଦିନ ଅନ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ କାହିଁକି ନୁହେଁ? ଏହି ସନ୍ଦେହ ମୋର; କହନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• ānartaḥ: Ānarta
• ānartaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānarta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• kasmāt: from what cause/why
• kasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक; किम्-प्रश्न)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• śastra-hatānām: of those killed by weapons
• śastra-hatānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śastra-hata (प्रातिपदिक; शस्त्र + हत (क्त from √han))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्तः used substantively

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• proktā: is stated/declared
• proktā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्तः; ‘caturdaśī’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• śrāddhe: in (the matter of) śrāddha
• śrāddhe: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विषय-अधिकरण (with regard to śrāddha)

• caturdaśī: the fourteenth (tithi)
• caturdaśī: Karta (Predicate subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृसमानाधिकरण (predicate nominative)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• anyeṣām: of others
• anyeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• divase: on a day
• divase: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (time)

• tatra: there/in that case
• tatra: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): स्थान/प्रसङ्ग

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक; इदम्-प्रोनाउन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘saṃśayaḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• vadasva: tell (me)
• vadasva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक; अस्मद्-प्रोनाउन)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (dative)

Speaker

Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king named Ānarta raises a respectful doubt before a sage; the setting suggests a sacred assembly near a tīrtha; the focus is on the gesture of inquiry—hands joined, brows knit—signaling dharma-vicāra.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is subtle: different deaths and conditions can require distinct śrāddha timings and procedures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it functions as a doctrinal question within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It queries the rule that caturdaśī is specifically taught for śrāddha of the śastrahata (weapon-slain).