Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तेन तृप्तिं परां यांति ये कृमित्वमुपागताः । कीटत्वं वापि तिर्यक्त्वं व्यालत्वं च नराधिप

Transliteration

tena tṛptiṃ parāṃ yāṃti ye kṛmitvamupāgatāḥ | kīṭatvaṃ vāpi tiryaktvaṃ vyālatvaṃ ca narādhipa

Translation

ข้าแต่นราธิป ด้วยเครื่องบูชาที่ตกลงนั้น ผู้ที่ไปเกิดเป็นหนอน—แม้เป็นแมลง เป็นสัตว์เดรัจฉาน หรือถึงขั้นเป็นงู—ย่อมได้รับความอิ่มเอมสูงสุด

Word by Word

• तेन: by that/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तृप्तिम्: satiation
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यान्ति: attain
• यान्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (relative)

• कृमित्वम्: wormhood (state of being a worm)
• कृमित्वम्: Gati (Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमित्व (प्रातिपदिक; कृमि + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपागताः: have attained/reached
• उपागताः: Kriyā (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + गम् (धातु) → उपागत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कीटत्वम्: insecthood
• कीटत्वम्: Gati (Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीटत्व (प्रातिपदिक; कीट + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्प (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (also)

• तिर्यक्त्वम्: animal state (being a beast)
• तिर्यक्त्वम्: Gati (Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; तिर्यक् + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्यालत्वम्: serpent/beasthood
• व्यालत्वम्: Gati (Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यालत्व (प्रातिपदिक; व्याल + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• नराधिप: O ruler of men
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः नराणाम् अधिपः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Unspecified (Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue voice; addressing a king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the spot where offerings touched the earth, a subtle radiance spreads outward to small creatures—worms, insects, a deer-like animal, and a serpent—who become calm and luminous, suggesting inner satiation and release from distress.

Characters & Entities

• Narādhipa (listener epithet)
• Pitṛs/Preta classes (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is portrayed as compassion that can extend even to beings in degraded or non-human states, bringing them relief and satisfaction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally about śrāddha efficacy within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting; no single tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It links the śrāddha’s remnants/offerings to the appeasement of departed beings who may be experiencing various lower embodiments.