Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

तथान्यदपि विप्रार्हं कर्म यज्ञसमुद्भवम् । तत्तेषां वचनात्सर्वं पूर्णं स्यादपि खंडितम् । परोक्षे वापि संपूर्णं वृथा संजायते स्फुटम्

Transliteration

tathānyadapi viprārhaṃ karma yajñasamudbhavam | tatteṣāṃ vacanātsarvaṃ pūrṇaṃ syādapi khaṃḍitam | parokṣe vāpi saṃpūrṇaṃ vṛthā saṃjāyate sphuṭam

Translation

ฉันนั้นแล กรรมอื่นใดที่สมควรแก่พราหมณ์และเกิดจากหน้าที่แห่งยัญญะ เพียงด้วยวาจาของท่านทั้งหลาย ทุกสิ่งย่อมสำเร็จสมบูรณ์ แม้ทำไว้บกพร่องก็ตาม แต่เมื่อท่านไม่อยู่ต่อหน้า แม้สิ่งที่ดูสมบูรณ์ก็กลับเป็นหมัน ไร้ผลอย่างชัดเจน

Word by Word

• tathā: thus, so
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीति-अर्थे (adverb of manner: 'thus/so')

• anyat: another (thing)
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; 'अन्यत्' (another/other thing)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: also/even)

• vipra-arham: worthy of Brahmins
• vipra-arham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्राणाम् अर्हम् = worthy of Brahmins)

• karma: rite, act
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yajña-samudbhavam: arising from a sacrifice
• yajña-samudbhavam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः (यज्ञात् समुद्भवम् = arising from sacrifice)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• vacanāt: from (their) word/command
• vacanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause: 'from/according to the word')

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pūrṇam: complete
• pūrṇam: Karta-Pradhana (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• syāt: would be / may become
• syāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even/also)

• khaṇḍitam: broken, defective
• khaṇḍitam: Karta-Pradhana (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khaṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle sense: 'broken')

• parokṣe: in (their) absence / unseen
• parokṣe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative: 'in absence/when unseen')

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle: or)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also/even)

• saṃpūrṇam: fully complete
• saṃpūrṇam: Karta-Pradhana (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃpūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• vṛthā: in vain
• vṛthā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in vain)

• saṃjāyate: arises, comes to be
• saṃjāyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• sphuṭam: clearly
• sphuṭam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: clearly, distinctly)

Speaker

The father (deceased king), concluding the rationale for the rite’s fruitfulness

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial setting where a rite appears incomplete; learned brāhmaṇas, seated on kuśa mats, utter a sanctioning blessing that ‘completes’ the act; in contrast, an empty seat of brāhmaṇas renders offerings visually inert.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (Vipra)
• Yajña
• Karma (rites)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma stresses correct transmission and authorization of rites through qualified Brāhmaṇas; eligibility and presence safeguard the fruit of karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The emphasis remains on the special efficacy associated with Cāmatkārapura’s Brāhmaṇas (site implied by continuity).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform viprārha rites (including śrāddha and yajña-related acts) in the presence and under the sanction of qualified Brāhmaṇas; otherwise the rite may become fruitless.