Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तस्मान्न दक्षिणाहीनं श्राद्धं कार्यं विपश्चिता । य इच्छेच्छाश्वतीं तृप्तिं पितॄणामात्मनश्च यः

Transliteration

tasmānna dakṣiṇāhīnaṃ śrāddhaṃ kāryaṃ vipaścitā | ya icchecchāśvatīṃ tṛptiṃ pitṝṇāmātmanaśca yaḥ

Translation

కాబట్టి పితృదేవతలకూ తనకూ శాశ్వత తృప్తి కోరువాడు, జ్ఞాని, దక్షిణలేని శ్రాద్ధం చేయకూడదు।

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that reason
• tasmāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादान (हेतु/कारण)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• dakṣiṇā-hīnam: devoid of dakṣiṇā (fee/gift)
• dakṣiṇā-hīnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दक्षिणया हीनम्)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्म (कार्यं)

• kāryam: to be done/should be performed
• kāryam: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्) ‘कर्तव्यम्’

• vipaścitā: by a wise person
• vipaścitā: Karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipaścit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; कर्तृ-करणभावे (by the wise person)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• icchet: should desire
• icchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (इष् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śāśvatīm: eternal/lasting
• śāśvatīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (तृप्तिम्)

• tṛptim: satisfaction
• tṛptim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• ātmanaḥ: of oneself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

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

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (पुनरुक्त-सम्बन्ध)

Speaker

Unspecified (Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ‘vipascit’ (wise householder) preparing dakṣiṇā before beginning śrāddha—cloth folded, coins or grains measured—signaling foresight; pitṛs symbolically present as subtle, benevolent witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is not merely formal; generosity (dakṣiṇā) is integral to securing enduring benefit for ancestors and the performer.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides a general śrāddha injunction within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not perform śrāddha without dakṣiṇā if the goal is lasting pitṛ-tṛpti (ancestor satisfaction) and personal merit.