Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । तेषां संयुज्यते श्राद्धं कन्यासंस्थे दिवाकरे । कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दश्यां नभस्यस्य सुरेश्वर

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | teṣāṃ saṃyujyate śrāddhaṃ kanyāsaṃsthe divākare | kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāṃ nabhasyasya sureśvara

Translation

Der erhabene Herr sprach: „Für sie ist das Śrāddha ordnungsgemäß zu vollziehen, wenn die Sonne in Kanyā (Jungfrau) steht, am vierzehnten Mondtag (Caturdaśī) der dunklen Monatshälfte (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa) im Monat Nabhasya (Bhādrapada), o Herr der Götter.“

Word by Word

• श्रीभगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• श्रीभगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् भगवान्)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तेषाम्: for them; of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• संयुज्यते: is enjoined; is to be performed
• संयुज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-युज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कन्यासंस्थे: when (the Sun is) in Virgo
• कन्यासंस्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्या-संस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिवाकरे); समासः—तत्पुरुष (कन्यायां संस्थः)

• दिवाकरे: in the Sun
• दिवाकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दिवा करोति/करः)

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (कृष्णः पक्षः)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• नभस्यस्य: of the month Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)
• नभस्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (मास-नाम)

• सुरेश्वर: O lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणाम् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Sura-īśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord instructs Indra with a celestial calendar motif: Sun entering Virgo, lunar fortnight markers, priests preparing śrāddha implements (piṇḍa, tila, kuśa) under a sky showing zodiac symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Bhagavān
• Indra
• Sūrya (Divākara)
• Kanyā-rāśi (Virgo)
• Nabhasya/Bhādrapada
• Kṛṣṇapakṣa
• Caturdaśī
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is time-sensitive: sacred rites like śrāddha gain special efficacy when performed at scripturally praised lunar and solar timings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The adhyāya’s flow leads toward Gayā as the locus where such śrāddha bears decisive fruit for the departed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha on Bhādrapada (Nabhasya) dark-fortnight caturdaśī when the Sun is in Kanyā (Virgo).