Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

श्राद्धदस्य परं श्रेयो भविष्यति सुदुर्लभम् । पितॄणां चाक्षया तृप्तिर्भवेद्द्वादशवार्षिकी

Transliteration

śrāddhadasya paraṃ śreyo bhaviṣyati sudurlabham | pitṝṇāṃ cākṣayā tṛptirbhaveddvādaśavārṣikī

Translation

У того, кто совершает дарение в Шраддхе (Śrāddha), возникнет высшее, трудно достижимое благо; и Питры (предки) обретут неистощимое удовлетворение на двенадцать лет.

Word by Word

• śrāddha: śrāddha (ancestral rite)
• śrāddha: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; समासपूर्वपदम् (in śrāddhadasya)

• dasya: of the giver
• dasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘दस्/दस्य’ (giver) इत्यर्थे; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्; ‘of the giver’

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; ‘highest’ (qualifying śreyaḥ)

• śreyaḥ: highest good/benefit
• śreyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• su: very
• su: Sambandha (Prefix/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; ‘very’ (as intensifier in compound)

• durlabham: very rare/difficult to obtain
• durlabham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; ‘hard to obtain’

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), बहुवचनम्

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

• akṣayā: imperishable
• akṣayā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘imperishable’ (qualifying tṛptiḥ)

• tṛptiḥ: satisfaction
• tṛptiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• bhavet: would be/should be
• bhavet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; समासपूर्वपदम् (in dvādaśavārṣikī)

• vārṣikī: lasting twelve years / twelve-yearly
• vārṣikī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vārṣikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः: द्वादश + वार्षिकी (‘twelve-yearly’)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rohitāśva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting: a brāhmaṇa seated on kuśa, offerings arranged (piṇḍa, tilodaka), the yajamāna giving dāna; subtle presence of Pitṛs receiving satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is praised as a rare and supreme good, producing enduring benefit for both the giver and the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse praises the rite’s fruit; it does not name a particular tīrtha in the verse itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It emphasizes dāna in śrāddha and states its result: akṣayā (imperishable) pitṛ-tṛpti lasting twelve years.