Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

घरट्टोलूखलोत्थौ च यत्र शब्दौ व्यवस्थितौ । शूर्पस्य वा विशेषेण तच्छ्राद्धं व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

gharaṭṭolūkhalotthau ca yatra śabdau vyavasthitau | śūrpasya vā viśeṣeṇa tacchrāddhaṃ vyarthatāṃ vrajet

Translation

यत्र घरट्टोलूखलयोः शब्दौ भवन्ति, शूर्पशब्दो विशेषेण च श्रूयते, तत्र श्राद्धं निष्फलं भवति।

Word by Word

• घरट्टोलूखलोत्थौ: the two sounds arising from the mill and mortar
• घरट्टोलूखलोत्थौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घरट्ट + उलूखल + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक; उत्थ = √स्था/√स्था? ‘उत्थ’ as ‘arisen’ from √स्था with ud- prefix, adjectival stem)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/समाहारार्थः: ‘घरट्ट-उलूखल-उत्थ’ = ‘(from) the mill and mortar arising’ (sounds)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• शब्दौ: two sounds
• शब्दौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• व्यवस्थितौ: are present/occur
• व्यवस्थितौ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with ‘शब्दौ’)

• शूर्पस्य: of a winnowing basket
• शूर्पस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (also used as neuter), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (instrumental used adverbially): ‘especially’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘श्राद्धम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; (sandhi in tacchrāddham)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• व्यर्थताम्: futility
• व्यर्थताम्: Gati (Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यर्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक्रियायाः गन्तव्य-भावः

• व्रजेत्: would go/turn into
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha pavilion marked by calm; in the background a mill and mortar are shown but covered/unused; a winnowing basket is set aside; attendants signal householders to pause noisy work while the rite proceeds.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha requires a calm, sanctified atmosphere; disruptive household activity undermines the rite’s intended sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is identified in this verse; it gives procedural guidance applicable at any tīrtha or home setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid performing śrāddha amid grinding/winnowing noises; choose a quiet, controlled space.