Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

पुष्पजात्यो यदा सृष्टास्तदा प्राक्छतपत्रिका । सृष्टा तेन च मुख्या सा श्राद्धकर्मणि सर्वदा

Transliteration

puṣpajātyo yadā sṛṣṭāstadā prākchatapatrikā | sṛṣṭā tena ca mukhyā sā śrāddhakarmaṇi sarvadā

Translation

เมื่อดอกไม้นานาพันธุ์ถูกสร้างขึ้น ครั้งนั้นดอกศตปตริกาได้ถูกสร้างขึ้นก่อน แล้วพระผู้สร้างทรงตั้งให้เป็นดอกไม้เอกเสมอ สำหรับพิธีศราทธะ

Word by Word

• पुष्पजात्यः: kinds of flowers
• पुष्पजात्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पुष्पाणां जातयः); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal conjunction: 'when')

• सृष्टाः: created
• सृष्टाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन (पाठे 'सृष्टास्तदा'—सन्ध्यन्तरगतं)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• प्राक्: formerly, earlier
• प्राक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पूर्वकाल/पूर्वदिशा-वाचक (formerly/before)

• शतपत्रिका: śatapatrikā (hundred-petaled flower, lotus)
• शतपत्रिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्रिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (शतं पत्राणि यस्याः/शतपत्रा); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सृष्टा: created
• सृष्टा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with 'शतपत्रिका')

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया, एकवचन

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

• मुख्या: principal, foremost
• मुख्या: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन (adjective agreeing with 'सा')

• सा: she/that (flower)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्राद्धकर्मणि: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: श्राद्धस्य कर्म); नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यकाल-वाचक (always)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual tray for śrāddha prominently displays śatapatrikā blossoms; a priest places the flower upon piṇḍa offerings while invoking pitṛs; the flower’s many petals are highlighted as a sign of ‘foremost’ status.

Characters & Entities

• Śatapatrikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple offerings like flowers carry scriptural prioritization; choosing auspicious upacāras expresses reverence toward the pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is about śrāddha upacāra (offerings) within Tīrthamāhātmya and does not specify a tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It recommends śatapatrikā as a foremost flower for śrāddha rites.