Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ये वांछंति ममाभीष्टं श्राद्धे भुक्त्वाऽथ पैतृके

Transliteration

ye vāṃchaṃti mamābhīṣṭaṃ śrāddhe bhuktvā'tha paitṛke

Translation

ये ममाभीष्टं वाञ्छन्ति, पैतृके श्राद्धे भुक्त्वाऽथ…

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक; यद्-प्रोनाउन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धि-प्रोनाउन (relative pronoun)

• vāṃchanti: desire; wish
• vāṃchanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vāñch (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक; अस्मद्)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• abhīṣṭam: desired (thing)
• abhīṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhīṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• śrāddhe: in/at the śrāddha rite
• śrāddhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• bhuktvā: having eaten
• bhuktvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• atha: then; and
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थ (then/and)

• paitṛke: ancestral; pertaining to the Pitṛs
• paitṛke: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paitṛka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to śrāddhe)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (deduced; chapter continues his instruction to King Ānarta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual carryover)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Beginning of a new chapter: a line of invited brāhmaṇas seated for pitṛ-śrāddha meal; the host serving with reverence; ritual plates with piṇḍas nearby; atmosphere of disciplined generosity.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is presented as an act that aligns human wishes with what is “approved” in dharma through honoring the Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya, though this half-verse itself does not name a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feeding/hosting as part of the ancestral (paitṛka) Śrāddha is implied.