Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भर्तृयज्ञ उवाच । सत्यमेतन्महाभाग मांसं सद्भिर्विगर्हितम् । श्राद्धे प्रयुज्यते यस्मात्तत्तेऽहं वच्मि कारणम्

Transliteration

bhartṛyajña uvāca | satyametanmahābhāga māṃsaṃ sadbhirvigarhitam | śrāddhe prayujyate yasmāttatte'haṃ vacmi kāraṇam

Translation

ภรรตฤยัชญะกล่าวว่า “เป็นความจริง โอผู้มีบุญยิ่ง เนื้อสัตว์ถูกผู้ทรงธรรมติเตียน แต่เพราะในพิธีศราทธะยังนำมาใช้ ข้าพเจ้าจักบอกเหตุแห่งนั้นแก่ท่าน”

Word by Word

• भर्तृयज्ञः: Bhartṛyajña (name)
• भर्तृयज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृयज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma/Predicate complement (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshya (Referent/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः महा+भाग (कर्मधारय)

• मांसम्: meat
• मांसम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• सद्भिः: by the good (people)
• सद्भिः: Karana/Agent-instrument (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विगर्हितम्: condemned
• विगर्हितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+गर्ह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; मांसम् इति विशेषण

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

• प्रयुज्यते: is used/applied
• प्रयुज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+युज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• यस्मात्: because (from which reason)
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतु-अर्थे (causal)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (enclitic form)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• वच्मि: tell/say
• वच्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कारणम्: reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhartṛyajña, composed and authoritative, reassures the questioner: ‘True—meat is censured; yet in śrāddha it is used; I will explain why.’

Characters & Entities

• Bhartṛyajña
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when a practice is generally censured, śāstra may allow specific ritual contexts; the tradition explains the rationale rather than leaving confusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it is part of a Māhātmya chapter that frames dharma through tīrtha-linked narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It introduces a justification for the use of māṃsa (meat) in the śrāddha rite.