Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पुत्रान्वांछति योऽभीष्टान्सुशीलान्वंशमंडनान् । पञ्चम्यां तेन कर्तव्यं सदा श्राद्धं नराधिप

Transliteration

putrānvāṃchati yo'bhīṣṭānsuśīlānvaṃśamaṃḍanān | pañcamyāṃ tena kartavyaṃ sadā śrāddhaṃ narādhipa

Translation

يا ملكَ الناس، من رغب في أبناءٍ محبوبين ذوي خُلُقٍ قويم وزينةٍ للسلالة، فليُدِم إقامةَ شعيرة الشرادها (Śrāddha) في اليوم الخامس من بريتاپكشا (Pretapakṣa).

Word by Word

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• vāṃchati: desires
• vāṃchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vāñch (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• yaḥ: he who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधकः

• abhīṣṭān: desired
• abhīṣṭān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (putrān)

• suśīlān: well-conducted/virtuous
• suśīlān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- (उपसर्ग) + śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु + शील)

• vaṃśa-maṃḍanān: ornaments of the lineage
• vaṃśa-maṃḍanān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + maṃḍana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vaṃśasya maṃḍanāḥ)

• pañcamyām: on the fifth (tithi)
• pañcamyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañcamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (on the fifth tithi)

• tena: by him/therefore
• tena: Kartr̥-sahakārī (Agent-associated/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• kartavyam: should be done
• kartavyam: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + tavya (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• narādhipa: O king/lord of men
• narādhipa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (narāṇām adhipaḥ)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic instruction to a king; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pretapakṣa Pañcamī śrāddha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (narādhipa/nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Fifth-day śrāddha with lineage symbolism: a family line depicted behind the householder—children/young heirs standing respectfully; the ritual foreground shows piṇḍas and offerings; pitṛs appear blessing the descendants with raised hands.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Care for the Pitṛs through śrāddha is portrayed as sustaining dharma across generations and strengthening the family line.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha is prescribed on Pañcamī (fifth lunar day) for those seeking virtuous progeny.