Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

भिन्नभाण्डपरित्यागो यत्र न क्रियते गृहे । न च वेदध्वनिर्यत्र प्रेता भुञ्जंति तत्र हि

Transliteration

bhinnabhāṇḍaparityāgo yatra na kriyate gṛhe | na ca vedadhvaniryatra pretā bhuñjaṃti tatra hi

Translation

เรือนใดไม่ทิ้งภาชนะที่แตกหัก และเรือนใดมิได้ยินเสียงพระเวท—ที่นั่นแลเหล่าเปรตย่อมได้เสวย

Word by Word

• भिन्नभाण्डपरित्यागः: discarding of broken vessels
• भिन्नभाण्डपरित्यागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिन्न (√भिद् क्त-प्रत्यय) + भाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + परित्याग (प्रातिपदिक; √त्यज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समास-प्रायः: ‘भिन्नं भाण्डं’ इति + तस्य परित्यागः

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (relative adverb: where)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• वेदध्वनिः: sound/chanting of the Veda
• वेदध्वनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: वेदानां ध्वनिः

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (where)

• प्रेताः: pretas
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• भुञ्जन्ति: eat
• भुञ्जन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphasis)

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a storeroom and kitchen: cracked pots piled up; the house feels silent of mantra; pretas hover near the clutter while a neglected palm-leaf manuscript lies closed.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A home should be kept pure and spiritually vibrant; neglect of purity and sacred sound invites inauspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is general dharma within the Mahātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Discard broken vessels and sustain Vedic recitation (or sacred chanting) in the household.