Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

श्राद्धे भुक्त्वाऽथ दत्त्वा वा यः श्राद्धं मानवाधमः । ग्रामातरं प्रयात्यत्र तच्छ्राद्धं व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

śrāddhe bhuktvā'tha dattvā vā yaḥ śrāddhaṃ mānavādhamaḥ | grāmātaraṃ prayātyatra tacchrāddhaṃ vyarthatāṃ vrajet

Translation

หากหลังจากฉันในศราทธะหรือหลังจากถวายศราทธะแล้ว คนชั่วต่ำทรามออกจากที่นั้นไปยังหมู่บ้านอื่น ศราทธะนั้นย่อมกลายเป็นหมัน ไร้ผล

Word by Word

• श्राद्धे: in/at the śrāddha (rite)
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘having eaten’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थ (then/and then)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘having given’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थ (or)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• श्राद्धम्: the śrāddha (rite)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• मानवाधमः: the lowest of men
• मानवाधमः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मानवानाम् अधमः)

• ग्रामातरम्: to another village
• ग्रामातरम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम + तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ग्रामात् अन्यः’ इति तद्धित/समासार्थ; गन्तव्य-कर्म (destination as object)

• प्रयाति: goes
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here/therein
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: here/therein)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशक (that)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject of result)

• व्यर्थताम्: futility, uselessness
• व्यर्थताम्: Karma (Result/State as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यर्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (state reached)

• व्रजेत्: would go/attain
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (didactic instruction within Śrāddha-kalpa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implied by nearby address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler with staff and bundle stepping away from a śrāddha courtyard while the ritual space remains behind; a teacher figure gestures to stop him; the pitṛs above appear to recede, indicating loss of phala.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After Śrāddha, one should maintain prescribed decorum and stability; frivolous departure is treated as disrespect that cancels merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is given in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative setting of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not immediately depart ‘from there’ to another village after participating in Śrāddha as eater or donor.