Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

आयसेन तु पात्रेण यत्रान्नं च प्रदीयते । तच्छ्राद्धं ते मया दत्तं तथान्यदपि हीयते

Transliteration

āyasena tu pātreṇa yatrānnaṃ ca pradīyate | tacchrāddhaṃ te mayā dattaṃ tathānyadapi hīyate

Translation

ณ ที่ใดอาหารถูกถวายในภาชนะเหล็ก ศราทธะนั้นเราถือว่าได้มอบให้แก่ท่านแล้ว; และด้วยเหตุเช่นนั้น บุญอื่น ๆ ก็ย่อมร่อยหรอลง

Word by Word

• āyasena: made of iron
• āyasena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instr. Singular; agreeing with pātreṇa)

• tu: but / indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• pātreṇa: with a vessel
• pātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Instr., Singular)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (where)

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• pradīyate: is given
• pradīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (3rd sg present, ātmanepada; passive: 'is given')

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular)

• te: to you / for you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी, एकवचन (Dat./Gen., Singular)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

• dattam: given
• dattam: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object complement/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (दा धातु) → datta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular)

• tathā: thus / likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• anyat: something else
• anyat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (also/even)

• hīyate: diminishes / is lost
• hīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hā (हा धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि/भावे (3rd sg present, ātmanepada; 'diminishes/is lost')

Speaker

Brahmā (Lokapitāmaha), addressing the Rākṣasa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rākṣasa (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest halts a server holding an iron bowl meant for śrāddha food; the correct vessels are shown nearby; a rākṣasa figure symbolically draws away the merit as the scene darkens slightly around the iron vessel.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Rākṣasa
• Śrāddha
• Āyasa-pātra (iron vessel)
• Anna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes correct means; improper ritual implements can reduce or misdirect the merit of sacred acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid serving śrāddha food in iron vessels; follow approved utensils to preserve the rite’s merit.