Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तस्मात्कुरु रघुश्रेष्ठ श्राद्धमत्र यथोदितम् । नीवारैः शाक मूलैश्च तथाऽरण्योद्भवैस्तिलैः

Transliteration

tasmātkuru raghuśreṣṭha śrāddhamatra yathoditam | nīvāraiḥ śāka mūlaiśca tathā'raṇyodbhavaistilaiḥ

Translation

پس اے رَغُو کے سردار! یہاں شاستر کے بتائے ہوئے طریقے کے مطابق شِرادھ ادا کرو—جنگلی چاول (نیوار)، ساگ اور جڑیں، اور جنگل سے لائے ہوئے تل کے ساتھ۔

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुरु: do/perform
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• रघुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Raghus
• रघुश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रघोः श्रेष्ठः

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• यथोदितम्: as prescribed
• यथोदितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उदित (प्रातिपदिक; वद्/उद्-इ धातोः क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (adverbial compound): यथा उदितम् = as stated; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (used adverbially)

• नीवारैः: with wild rice grains
• नीवारैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शाक: with vegetables/greens
• शाक: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular) (समाहार/द्रव्यवाचक)

• मूलैः: with roots
• मूलैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: and)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

• अरण्योद्भवैः: with forest-grown
• अरण्योद्भवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरण्य + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; पञ्चमी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः: अरण्यात् उद्भवः = forest-born

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual tīrtha-instructor voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūpikā-Gayā pitṛ-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Raghuśreṣṭha (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas instruct the Raghu-king to perform śrāddha right there, using wild rice, greens, roots, and forest sesame—an austere yet potent rite.

Characters & Entities

• Raghuśreṣṭha (Rāma)
• śrāddha
• nīvāra
• tila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even with simple, locally available foods, śrāddha becomes efficacious when done at a tīrtha and in accordance with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The local kūpikā-tīrtha where Gayā is said to abide; its sanctity authorizes śrāddha ‘here’ with full merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha as instructed, using nīvāra (wild rice), śāka and mūla (greens/roots), and forest-sourced tila (sesame).