Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । अनेनैव तु मंत्रेण ममाग्रे सुरसत्तम । क्षीणे चंद्रे चतुर्द्दश्यां नभस्ये पिंडमाहरेत्

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | anenaiva tu maṃtreṇa mamāgre surasattama | kṣīṇe caṃdre caturddaśyāṃ nabhasye piṃḍamāharet

Translation

Viṣṇu sprach: Mit eben diesem Mantra, o Bester der Götter, soll man in meiner Gegenwart im Monat Nabhasya am vierzehnten Tithi, wenn der Mond abnimmt, den Piṇḍa darbringen.

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

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

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

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अग्रे: in front (of me)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• सुरसत्तम: O best of gods
• सुरसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां सत्तमः)

• क्षीणे: when (it is) waned
• क्षीणे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीण (कृदन्त; √क्षि (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (when ... is waning)

• चन्द्रे: in the moon (i.e., when the moon is waning)
• चन्द्रे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नभस्ये: in the month Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)
• नभस्ये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचक (month-name)

• पिण्डम्: piṇḍa offering
• पिण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आहरेत्: should bring/offer
• आहरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु) आ + √हृ
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘surasattama’ (best among gods)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Viṣṇu shrine with the deity present; a devotee offers piṇḍa before the sanctum on a waning-moon caturdaśī, with priests holding lamps; the moon is thin in the sky, indicating kṛṣṇa-pakṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Nabhasya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual efficacy is strengthened by mantra, right lunar timing, and devotion offered in the presence of the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Dharmāraṇya/Lohayiṣṭakā setting frames the instruction, though this verse emphasizes offering before Viṣṇu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer the piṇḍa with the given mantra on waning-moon caturdaśī in Nabhasya (month-name).