Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

पितॄणां वांछता तृप्तिं कालेष्वेतेषु यत्नतः । गयायां च विशेषेण लोकद्वयमभीप्सता

Transliteration

pitṝṇāṃ vāṃchatā tṛptiṃ kāleṣveteṣu yatnataḥ | gayāyāṃ ca viśeṣeṇa lokadvayamabhīpsatā

Translation

Wer die Zufriedenheit der Pitṛs begehrt, soll zu diesen rechten Zeiten eifrig den Ritus vollziehen—besonders in Gayā—wenn er Wohlergehen in beiden Welten (hier und im Jenseits) wünscht.

Word by Word

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• vāṃchatā: by one desiring
• vāṃchatā: Viśeṣaṇa (of implied agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vāñch (धातु) → vāṃchat (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकाले: ‘desiring’

• tṛptim: satisfaction
• tṛptim: Karma (object of vāṃchatā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kāleṣu: at the times
• kāleṣu: Adhikarana (time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• eteṣu: these
• eteṣu: Viśeṣaṇa (of kāleṣu)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• yatnataḥ: diligently
• yatnataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘with effort/diligently’

• gayāyām: in Gayā
• gayāyām: Adhikarana (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन रूपेण अव्ययीभाव (instrumental adverb): ‘especially/in particular’

• loka-dvayam: the two worlds
• loka-dvayam: Karma (object of abhīpsatā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘लोकयोः द्वयम्’ (the two worlds)

• abhīpsatā: by one seeking
• abhīpsatā: Viśeṣaṇa (of implied agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-√īps (धातु) → abhīpsat (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकाले: ‘wishing/desiring’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at Gayā performing piṇḍa-dāna on a riverbank with priests guiding; ancestral figures receive offerings; the sense of ‘both worlds’ shown by earthly crowd and celestial ascent path.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Gayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly timed Śrāddha, and especially Gayā-śrāddha, is praised as a powerful means to fulfill duty to ancestors and secure well-being in both worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is explicitly highlighted as a particularly potent place for ancestral rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha with diligence at the prescribed times, with special emphasis on performing it at Gayā.