Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तिलं वा तैलपक्वं वा शूकधान्यमथापि वा । न यत्र दीयते श्राद्धे तत्ते श्राद्धं भविष्यति

Transliteration

tilaṃ vā tailapakvaṃ vā śūkadhānyamathāpi vā | na yatra dīyate śrāddhe tatte śrāddhaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

หากในพิธีศราทธะมิได้ถวายงา หรืออาหารที่ปรุงด้วยน้ำมัน หรือแม้ธัญพืชที่มีเปลือก (ศูกธัญยะ)—ศราทธะนั้นย่อมเป็นพิธีที่บกพร่องสำหรับท่าน

Word by Word

• तिलम्: sesame
• तिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (दीयते इत्यस्य कर्म)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• तैलपक्वम्: cooked in oil
• तैलपक्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्व (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘तैलेन पक्वम्’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः; (कर्मरूपेण)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• शूकधान्यम्: grain with husk
• शूकधान्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूक (प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘शूकं धान्यम्’ (grain with husk/ear)

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (then/and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• श्राद्धे: in the Śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; correlative to ‘यत्र’ clause

• ते: your/for you
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: Śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma/Prameya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will become/shall be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha meal arrangement where sesame is conspicuously absent; bowls of grains and oil-cooked dishes are shown as missing, while the priest points to an empty spot on the offering leaf/plate.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Tila
• Tailapakva
• Śūkadhānya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be expressed through proper offerings; śrāddha is a disciplined act of ancestral reverence, not a casual meal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse details śrāddha requirements within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Include prescribed offerings such as tila (sesame), oil-cooked food, and appropriate grains in śrāddha.