Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34
दरिद्रोपहता यद्वद्धनं वांछंति मानवाः । पितरस्तद्वदिच्छंति क्षुत्क्षामाश्चन्द्रसं क्षयम्
daridropahatā yadvaddhanaṃ vāṃchaṃti mānavāḥ | pitarastadvadicchaṃti kṣutkṣāmāścandrasaṃ kṣayam
كما أنّ الناس الذين أرهقتهم الفاقة يتمنّون المال، كذلك الآباء الأسلاف (Pitṛs)، وقد أنهكهم الجوع والعوز، يتمنّون انمحاق القمر، أي مناسبة المحاق (الاقتران).
Unspecified (didactic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya)
Type: ghat
Listener: Mahārāja (king)
Scene: A poor family gazes at a small heap of coins/food with longing; mirrored by subtle Pitṛ figures gazing toward a śrāddha plate under a dark moon; the householder bridges the worlds by offering food and water.
FAQs
Human longing is used as an analogy to stress the urgency of feeding and satisfying ancestors through timely rites.
This verse supports the broader Tīrthamāhātmya theme of merit in properly-timed rites; no single tirtha is named in this line.
Perform pitṛ offerings around candrasaṃkṣaya (amāvāsyā/new moon), when the Pitṛs are said to be in greatest need.