Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

नित्यं यजनशीलैश्च त्रिसन्ध्यापरिपालकैः । श्रद्धया कारयेच्छ्राद्धं यदीच्छेच्छ्रेय आत्मनः

Transliteration

nityaṃ yajanaśīlaiśca trisandhyāparipālakaiḥ | śraddhayā kārayecchrāddhaṃ yadīcchecchreya ātmanaḥ

Translation

Und (mit Brāhmaṇas), die stets dem Gottesdienst ergeben sind und die drei täglichen Sandhyās wahren; in Glauben lasse man das Śrāddha vollziehen, wenn man das höchste Heil für sich begehrt.

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adverbial (Kriya-visheshana)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः — ‘नित्यम्’ (always)

• यजनशीलैः: habitually sacrificing
• यजनशीलैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यजन + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘यजने शील’ (habitually performing sacrifices)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘and’

• त्रिसन्ध्यापरिपालकैः: keepers of the three sandhyās
• त्रिसन्ध्यापरिपालकैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + सन्ध्या + परिपालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘त्रिसन्ध्याः परिपालयन्ति’ (observers of the three daily sandhyās)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘श्रद्धया’ (with faith)

• कारयेत्: should have (it) performed
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — णिच् (causative) ‘कारयेत्’ (should cause to be done/should have performed)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘श्राद्धम्’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्त-प्रदर्शक/conditional particle) — ‘if’

• इच्छेत्: should desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘इच्छेत्’ (should desire)

• श्रेयः: welfare, the good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘श्रेयः’ (welfare, highest good)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — ‘आत्मनः’ (of oneself)

Speaker

Unspecified

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas at sunrise/noon/sunset indicated symbolically (three suns or changing sky bands), performing sandhyā with arghya; the patron performs śrāddha with folded hands and focused gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Sandhyā (three daily rites)
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith (śraddhā) and right method—especially the right officiants—turn śrāddha into a path of true spiritual welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Revākhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-mahātmya environment, where such rites are considered especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha with faith using brāhmaṇas who regularly worship and maintain the three sandhyā observances.