Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तस्मिन्नहनि कारयेत् । अन्यमुद्दिश्य तत्सर्वं प्रेतानामिह जायते

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tasminnahani kārayet | anyamuddiśya tatsarvaṃ pretānāmiha jāyate

Translation

ฉะนั้นควรเพียรพยายามทุกประการให้ประกอบพิธีในวันนั้นเอง; เพราะสิ่งใดก็ตามที่ทำ ณ ที่นี้โดยตั้งใจอุทิศแก่ผู้อื่น ย่อมกลายเป็นของเหล่าพรেত (วิญญาณผู้ล่วงลับ) เท่านั้นโดยแท้

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वः प्रयत्नः)

• तस्मिन्: on that/in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अहनि: on the day
• अहनि: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कारयेत्: should have (it) performed
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) [णिच् causative: कारय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘should cause to be done’)

• अन्यम्: another (person)
• अन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: intending/dedicating (to)
• उद्दिश्य: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्-√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘उद्दिश्य’ = having designated/aiming at

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all/entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘तत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रेतानाम्: of the departed spirits
• प्रेतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Viṣṇu (in dialogue with Śakra/Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual teacher points to a lunar calendar (tithi) while a householder prepares offerings; subtle preta figures gather at the edge of the scene, indicating that misdirected acts ‘become for pretas’.

Characters & Entities

• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha should be performed with correct timing and intention; misdirected dedication can fail to reach the intended recipient and instead relate to preta-state beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To ensure the rite is carried out on the specified day (tithi/day) with proper dedication (uddeśa).