Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततो दीपोत्सवदिने श्राद्धं कृत्वा समाहितः । दामोदरं यमं पूज्य दीपं दद्यात्स्वभक्तितः

Transliteration

tato dīpotsavadine śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā samāhitaḥ | dāmodaraṃ yamaṃ pūjya dīpaṃ dadyātsvabhaktitaḥ

Translation

Dann, am Tage des Dīpotsava, des Lichterfestes, soll man, nachdem man śrāddha mit gefestigtem Geist vollzogen hat, Dāmodara und Yama verehren und aus eigener Hingabe eine Lampe darbringen.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — अनन्तरार्थे

• दीपोत्सवदिने: on the day of the lamp-festival
• दीपोत्सवदिने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीपोत्सव (प्रातिपदिक) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘दीपोत्सवस्य दिनम्’

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive) — पूर्वक्रिया

• समाहितः: being composed
• समाहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दामोदरम्: Dāmodara (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• दामोदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यमम्: Yama
• यमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूज्य: having worshipped
• पूज्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूज्य (कृदन्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) — ‘पूजयित्वा’

• दीपम्: a lamp
• दीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give/offer
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वभक्तितः: out of one’s own devotion
• स्वभक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause) — ‘स्वभक्तेः’ इति

Speaker

Sūta (continuing instruction within the māhātmya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nightfall at a tīrtha: rows of lamps on ghāṭa steps; a devotee completes śrāddha offerings, then stands before small icons/altars of Dāmodara (Viṣṇu) and Yama, presenting a glowing lamp with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Dīpotsava
• Śrāddha
• Dāmodara
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Festival devotion integrates pitṛ-duty (śrāddha) with deity-worship, making the lamp-offering a complete act of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practices are prescribed in the setting of Ānarta Tīrtha / Ānartīya Taḍāga described in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Dīpotsava: perform śrāddha, worship Dāmodara and Yama, then offer a lamp devotedly.