Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यत्किंचिन्मंत्रहीनं वा कालहीनमथापि वा । विधिहीनं च संपूर्णं दक्षिणायां तु तद्भवेत्

Transliteration

yatkiṃcinmaṃtrahīnaṃ vā kālahīnamathāpi vā | vidhihīnaṃ ca saṃpūrṇaṃ dakṣiṇāyāṃ tu tadbhavet

Translation

شِرادھ میں جو کچھ منتر کے بغیر رہ جائے، یا وقت کی کمی ہو، یا طریقہ میں نقص ہو—وہ سب دَکْشِنا (نذرانہ) کے ذریعے یقیناً کامل ہو جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• mantra-hīnam: devoid of mantra
• mantra-hīnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे कर्मधारयः (मन्त्रेण हीनम् / मन्त्रहीनम्)

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

• kāla-hīnam: lacking proper time
• kāla-hīnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कालेन हीनम्)

• atha: and/then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (then/and also)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

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

• vidhi-hīnam: lacking prescribed procedure
• vidhi-hīnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विधिना हीनम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• saṃpūrṇam: complete/fulfilled
• saṃpūrṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃpūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (yat kiṃcit)

• dakṣiṇāyām: in the dakṣiṇā (fee/gift)
• dakṣiṇāyām: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (but/indeed)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; निर्देश

• bhavet: would become/should be
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder respectfully offering dakṣiṇā (coins/cloth/cowry pouch) to brāhmaṇas after śrāddha; the atmosphere conveys relief and completion; ritual items remain arranged neatly.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charitable honoring (dakṣiṇā) is upheld as a powerful corrective that ‘completes’ ritual shortcomings when performed with sincere intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a dharma/ritual principle within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; the verse does not specify a particular site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give dakṣiṇā: it is said to make a śrāddha complete even if mantra, timing, or procedure were imperfect.