Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

श्राद्धमिदुक्षयेऽवश्यं सदा कार्यं विपश्चिता । यदि ज्येष्ठतमः सर्गः सन्तानं च तथा नृप

Transliteration

śrāddhamidukṣaye'vaśyaṃ sadā kāryaṃ vipaścitā | yadi jyeṣṭhatamaḥ sargaḥ santānaṃ ca tathā nṛpa

Translation

Beim Schwinden des Mondes (am Neumondtag) soll der Weise gewiss und stets das śrāddha vollziehen. O König, dies ist die höchste Satzung für die Linie und ebenso für die Nachkommenschaft.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• इन्दुक्षये: at the waning of the moon
• इन्दुक्षये: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इन्दोः क्षये)

• अवश्यम्: necessarily
• अवश्यम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्यम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थ (adverb: necessarily)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: always)

• कार्यम्: to be performed
• कार्यम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object predicate/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be done)

• विपश्चिता: by the wise man
• विपश्चिता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; (विपश्चिता = विपश्चिता [instrumental])

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle: if)

• ज्येष्ठतमः: the eldest/most senior
• ज्येष्ठतमः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठतम (प्रातिपदिक; तमप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्गः)

• सर्गः: creation/lineage; (here) the eldest branch/person
• सर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सन्तानम्: offspring, progeny
• सन्तानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्तान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थ (likewise)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice addressing a king within the Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lunar disk fading into darkness above a riverbank; a householder with kuśa ring offers water (añjali) toward the south; family members stand respectfully; the sage’s injunction echoes as a caption-like presence.

Characters & Entities

• Pitaras (ancestors)
• Indu (Moon)
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The new-moon time is especially fit for honoring ancestors; wise householders should not neglect Śrāddha, as it supports dharma and the continuity of the family line.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, emphasizing the sacred context of performing pitṛ-rites at holy places, though this particular line highlights the timing (amāvāsyā) more than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha specifically at indukṣaya (the Moon’s waning/new moon), presented as an obligatory ancestral duty for the wise.