Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

नित्यं शक्त्या नरो राजन्पयोऽन्नैश्च पृथग्विधैः । तथान्यैर्वस्त्रनैवेद्यैः पुष्पगन्धानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

nityaṃ śaktyā naro rājanpayo'nnaiśca pṛthagvidhaiḥ | tathānyairvastranaivedyaiḥ puṣpagandhānulepanaiḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา บุคคลพึงตามกำลังของตน บูชาปิตฤเป็นนิตย์ด้วยน้ำนมและภักษาหารนานาชนิด และด้วยเครื่องสักการะอื่น ๆ คือผ้า นัยเวทยะ ดอกไม้ กลิ่นหอม และเครื่องทา

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• शक्त्या: with ability/according to capacity
• शक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• अन्नैः: with foods
• अन्नैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/Conjunction)

• पृथग्विधैः: of various kinds
• पृथग्विधैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथग् (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीह्यर्थे न; कर्मधारयसमासः। पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• अन्यैः: with other
• अन्यैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• वस्त्रनैवेद्यैः: with garments and food-offerings
• वस्त्रनैवेद्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पुष्पगन्धानुलेपनैः: with flowers, fragrances, and unguents
• पुष्पगन्धानुलेपनैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्वसमासः (पुष्पाणि गन्धाश्च अनुलेपनानि च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

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

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual arrangement: milk, assorted foods, cloth, naivedya plates, flowers, incense/fragrance, and unguents laid out; the practitioner offers them with composed devotion while the king receives instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral reverence is a daily discipline, to be practiced sincerely within one’s means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the emphasis is on the śrāddha/tarpaṇa regimen within a tīrtha-mahātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily offerings to the Pitṛs: milk, varied foods, garments, naivedya, flowers, scents, and anointing substances.