Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

पितॄणां गुप्तये तेन स्थाप्योऽश्वत्थः समाधिना । पुत्रवत्परिपाल्यश्च निर्विशेषं नराधिप

Transliteration

pitṝṇāṃ guptaye tena sthāpyo'śvatthaḥ samādhinā | putravatparipālyaśca nirviśeṣaṃ narādhipa

Translation

ฉะนั้น เพื่อคุ้มครองและเกื้อกูลแด่ปิตฤ (บรรพชน) พึงตั้งต้นอัศวัตถะ (ต้นโพธิ์/ไทรศักดิ์สิทธิ์) ด้วยจิตแน่วแน่เป็นสมาธิ; และข้าแต่นราธิป จงอภิบาลมันดุจบุตรของตน โดยไม่เลือกชั้นวรรณะหรือความแตกต่างใดๆ

Word by Word

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

• guptaye: for protection
• guptaye: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gupti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• tena: by that / therefore
• tena: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• sthāpyaḥ: should be planted/established
• sthāpyaḥ: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthāpya (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्यय, ‘to be established’); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् ‘aśvatthaḥ’

• aśvatthaḥ: the aśvattha tree (sacred fig)
• aśvatthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvattha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• samādhinā: with concentration/solemn resolve
• samādhinā: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन

• putravat: like a son
• putravat: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (adverbial); उपमानार्थ (like a son)

• paripālyaḥ: should be protected/cared for
• paripālyaḥ: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari + pāl (धातु) → paripālya (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्, ‘to be cared for’); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् ‘aśvatthaḥ’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• nirviśeṣam: without distinction / impartially
• nirviśeṣam: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nirviśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbially); ‘without distinction’

• narādhipa: O ruler of men
• narādhipa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (lord of men)

Speaker

Unknown (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrator addressing a king; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha-sthāpana (vṛkṣa-tīrtha practice)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king or householder plants an aśvattha sapling with solemn resolve; pitṛs are envisioned subtly above, receiving benefit; attendants bring water pots and darbha grass.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Aśvattha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the ancestors is supported through reverent, sustained care of sacred life—symbolized by establishing and nurturing the aśvattha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Tīrthamāhātmya frames the teaching, but this verse highlights the sacred aśvattha practice rather than naming a particular site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvattha-sthāpana (establishing/planting the aśvattha) and maintaining it with disciplined intent (samādhi).