Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

विश्वेदेवैर्विना श्राद्धं यत्त्वया समुदाहृतम् । एकोद्दिष्टं नराः सर्वे करिष्यंति धरातले

Transliteration

viśvedevairvinā śrāddhaṃ yattvayā samudāhṛtam | ekoddiṣṭaṃ narāḥ sarve kariṣyaṃti dharātale

Translation

విశ్వేదేవులు లేకుండా చేయవలసినదిగా నీవు ప్రకటించిన శ్రాద్ధాన్ని, భూమిపై సమస్త జనులు ఏకోద్దిష్ట శ్రాద్ధరూపంగా ఆచరిస్తారు।

Word by Word

• विश्वेदेवैः: by/with the Viśvedevas
• विश्वेदेवैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वे देवाः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोगार्थक उपपद (preposition: 'without'), तृतीया-सम्बन्धी

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

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• समुदाहृतम्: was declared/uttered
• समुदाहृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+√हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense)

• एकोद्दिष्टम्: the ekoddiṣṭa (single-oblation) śrāddha
• एकोद्दिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √दिश् क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे रूढ (ekoddiṣṭa-śrāddha: rite for a single departed)

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of नराः)

• करिष्यन्ति: will do, will perform
• करिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• धरातले: on the earth
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (continuation of ordinance)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara śrāddha (custom)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Vāsava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Brahmā’s decree radiates into the human world where householders perform ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha—one focused offering—without invoking the Viśvedevās.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvedevāḥ
• Śrāddha
• Ekoddiṣṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual forms vary by ordinance; correct performance depends on following the prescribed recipient-deities and intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse discusses śrāddha classification rather than a named pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha done ‘without the Viśvedevās’ is identified as ekoddiṣṭa-śrāddha to be practiced by people on earth.