Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

चतुर्थ्यां तु तथाष्टम्यां पक्षयोः शुक्लकृष्णयोः । श्राद्धं तत्रैव कर्तव्यं वित्तशाठ्येन वर्जितः

Transliteration

caturthyāṃ tu tathāṣṭamyāṃ pakṣayoḥ śuklakṛṣṇayoḥ | śrāddhaṃ tatraiva kartavyaṃ vittaśāṭhyena varjitaḥ

Translation

Am vierten und ebenso am achten Tithi, in beiden Monatshälften, der hellen wie der dunklen, soll man dort selbst das Śrāddha vollziehen, frei von Betrug am Vermögen.

Word by Word

• चतुर्थ्याम्: on the fourth (tithi)
• चतुर्थ्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time-adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time-adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• पक्षयोः: of the two fortnights
• पक्षयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Dual)

• शुक्लकृष्णयोः: of the bright and dark (fortnights)
• शुक्लकृष्णयोः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (Masculine, Genitive, Dual; qualifying पक्षयोः)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• कर्तव्यम्: should be performed
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-भावः ‘करणीयम्’ (Gerundive; ‘to be done’)

• वित्तशाठ्येन: by/with deceit regarding wealth
• वित्तशाठ्येन: Hetu/Apadana (Cause to be avoided/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त + शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वित्तस्य शाठ्यम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• वर्जितः: avoiding, free from
• वर्जितः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे ‘वर्जितः’ = ‘वर्जयित्वा/वर्जनशीलः’ (Past participle used adjectivally; Masculine Nom. Sing.)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Royal interlocutor (king) in the passage frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank altar, the performer conducts śrāddha with darbha grass, piṇḍas, and water offerings; lunar calendar symbols hint at caturthī and aṣṭamī; the mood stresses honesty and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Caturthī
• Aṣṭamī
• Śrāddha
• Śukla-pakṣa
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual duty must be performed with honesty and generosity; deceit in religious giving undermines dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is situated in the Māṅgaleśvara tīrtha setting of Revā-khaṇḍa (“there itself”).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha on Caturthī and Aṣṭamī in both fortnights at the tīrtha, avoiding any stinginess or deception about wealth.