Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ततःप्रभृति चक्रुस्ते श्राद्धानि द्विजसत्तमाः । त्रयोदश्यां नभस्यस्य कृष्णायां भक्तितत्पराः

Transliteration

tataḥprabhṛti cakruste śrāddhāni dvijasattamāḥ | trayodaśyāṃ nabhasyasya kṛṣṇāyāṃ bhaktitatparāḥ

Translation

ومنذ ذلك الحين شرع أولئك البراهمةُ الأفاضل في إقامة شعائر الشرادها (Śrāddha) بخشوعٍ وتعبّد، في يوم تريودشي (اليوم القمري الثالث عشر) من النصف المظلم من شهر نَبَهَسْيَ (بهادْرَپَدَا).

Word by Word

• ततःप्रभृति: from then onward
• ततःप्रभृति: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः-प्रभृति (अव्यय; ततः + प्रभृति)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb); अव्ययीभाव-समास

• चक्रुः: performed / did
• चक्रुः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्राद्धानि: śrāddha rites
• श्राद्धानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (सत्तमाः द्विजाः)

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth (lunar day)
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• नभस्यस्य: of the month Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)
• नभस्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• कृष्णायाम्: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पक्षे)

• भक्तितत्पराः: devotionally intent
• भक्तितत्पराः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति-तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक; भक्ति + तत्पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते/द्विजसत्तमाः); समासः तत्पुरुष (भक्तौ तत्पराः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Bhartṛyajña continuing the account before 221.1 explicitly names him)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas perform śrāddha on a dark-fortnight trayodaśī: ritual ground with kuśa grass, piṇḍa offerings, water vessels; solemn devotion under a late-monsoon sky (Bhādrapada).

Characters & Entities

• Dvijas (Brāhmaṇas)
• Śrāddha
• Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)
• Trayodaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional discipline (bhakti) expressed through timely Śrāddha observance is portrayed as a powerful dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, within the Gajacchāyā-māhātmya context of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing Śrāddha on trayodaśī during the dark fortnight of Bhādrapada (Nabhasya).