Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कस्मिन्काले प्रकर्तव्यं श्राद्धं पितृपरायणैः । कीदृशैर्ब्राह्मणैस्तच्च तथा द्रव्यैर्महामते

Transliteration

kasminkāle prakartavyaṃ śrāddhaṃ pitṛparāyaṇaiḥ | kīdṛśairbrāhmaṇaistacca tathā dravyairmahāmate

Translation

ਹੇ ਮਹਾਮਤੀ, ਪਿਤ੍ਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਰਾਇਣ ਲੋਕ ਕਿਹੜੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਸ਼੍ਰਾਦ੍ਹ ਕਰਨ? ਅਤੇ ਕਿਹੋ ਜਿਹੇ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣਾਂ ਨਾਲ, ਤੇ ਕਿਹੜੇ ਦ੍ਰਵਿਆਂ/ਭੇਟਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਹ ਕਰਮ ਸੰਪੰਨ ਹੋਵੇ?

Word by Word

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: to be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कृ + तव्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be done’); श्राद्धं इत्यस्य विशेषण

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Topic/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• पितृपरायणैः: by those devoted to the ancestors
• पितृपरायणैः: Kartr (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ + परायण (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (agent): पितृषु परायणाः (devoted to the ancestors)

• कीदृशैः: of what kind
• कीदृशैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण

• ब्राह्मणैः: with/through brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तत्: that (śrāddha)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; श्राद्धम् इत्यस्य पुनरुक्ति-सूचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• तथा: and also / likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (in what manner/also)

• द्रव्यैः: with what materials
• द्रव्यैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: महती मतिः यस्य सः

Speaker

Unspecified in the snippet (a question addressed to a sage; clarified next as a narrated inquiry in the Sūta-frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages continue questioning: one sage gestures threefold—time, brāhmaṇa, and offerings—while Sūta listens; ritual items (sesame, water pot, kuśa, rice balls) symbolically arranged.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Brāhmaṇas
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is not merely a ritual act but a dharmic responsibility requiring proper time, proper recipients, and pure offerings, undertaken with reverence toward the Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is a lead-in to the Adhyāya’s setting connected with the Sarayū-saṅgama and Ayodhyā, where rites like bathing and tarpaṇa gain special merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for prescriptions regarding the correct timing (kāla), eligible Brāhmaṇas, and appropriate offerings (dravya) for performing śrāddha.