Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

यदा यच्छंति नो वंश्याः कव्यं चैव प्रमादतः । तदा गच्छंति नो तृप्तिं यानैर्यांति यथा सुराः

Transliteration

yadā yacchaṃti no vaṃśyāḥ kavyaṃ caiva pramādataḥ | tadā gacchaṃti no tṛptiṃ yānairyāṃti yathā surāḥ

Translation

“เมื่อใดที่ลูกหลานของเรา ด้วยความประมาท จึงถวาย ‘กัวยะ’ คือเครื่องบูชาศราทธะให้เราเป็นครั้งคราว เมื่อนั้นเราจึงได้ความอิ่มเอม และได้ไปด้วยวิมานทิพย์ดุจเหล่าเทวะ”

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: सम्बन्ध/कालाधिकरण (Temporal relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction): 'when'

• यच्छन्ति: they give
• यच्छन्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु-प्रयोगः: यच्छति/यच्छन्ति (give)

• नः: to us / of us
• नः: सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (Recipient/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन (Genitive/Dative plural enclitic): 'of us/to us'

• वंश्याः: descendants
• वंश्याः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• कव्यं: funeral offering (to ancestors)
• कव्यं: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• प्रमादतः: through negligence
• प्रमादतः: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (Ablative singular used adverbially): 'through negligence/from inadvertence'

• तदा: then
• तदा: सम्बन्ध/कालाधिकरण (Temporal relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• गच्छन्ति: they go
• गच्छन्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• नः: our
• नः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive plural enclitic): 'of us'

• तृप्तिं: satisfaction
• तृप्तिं: कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य (Goal/object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative singular)

• यानैः: by vehicles
• यानैः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental plural)

• यान्ति: they go
• यान्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: उपमान (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle): 'as/just as'

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

Speaker

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pitṛs describe a transformation: when kavya is offered, their faces brighten and they ascend into vimānas like devas; when neglected, they remain subdued.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• vaṃśyāḥ (descendants)
• kavya
• suras (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ satisfaction depends on offerings from descendants; even occasional kavya brings uplift, indicating the power of śrāddha performed with faith and regularity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; the teaching aligns with tīrtha practice where śrāddha and tarpaṇa are traditionally performed for amplified merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering kavya (śrāddha food/oblations) to pitṛs; the verse critiques pramāda (irregular performance) and implies regular śrāddha.