Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पायसं मधुसर्पिर्भ्यां वर्षासु च मघासु च । मघात्रयोदशीयोगे पायसेन यजेत्पितॄन्

Transliteration

pāyasaṃ madhusarpirbhyāṃ varṣāsu ca maghāsu ca | maghātrayodaśīyoge pāyasena yajetpitṝn

Translation

Mit pāyasa (Reis-Milch-Speise), bereitet mit Honig und Ghee—besonders in der Regenzeit und unter der Nakṣatra Maghā—wenn Maghā mit der Trayodaśī zusammenfällt, soll man die Ahnen mit pāyasa verehren.

Word by Word

• पायसम्: rice-pudding (offering)
• पायसम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मधु: with honey
• मधु: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘सर्पिः’ इत्यनेन सह द्वन्द्वार्थे समुच्चयः

• सर्पिःभ्याम्: with ghee (together with honey)
• सर्पिःभ्याम्: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिस्/सर्पिः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; मधु-सर्पिः इत्यर्थे साधारणतया ‘मधुसर्पिर्भ्याम्’ (द्वन्द्व-समाहार) रूपेण प्रयोगः

• वर्षासु: in the rainy season(s)
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मघासु: in (the) Maghā (asterism days)
• मघासु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; नक्षत्रनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मघात्रयोदशीयोगे: on the conjunction of Maghā and Trayodaśī
• मघात्रयोदशीयोगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघा (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मघा-त्रयोदशी-योः योगः)

• पायसेन: with rice-pudding
• पायसेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• यजेत्: should worship/offer sacrifice
• यजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; instructional tone)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king) implied by nearby address in the passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder performs pitṛ-ārādhana: a low altar with darbha, water-pot, and a golden bowl of pāyasa glistening with ghee and honey; monsoon clouds gather; the lunar calendar and Maghā star are symbolically shown above.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Maghā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual precision—timing (tithi and nakṣatra) and proper offerings—is portrayed as a direct means to please the pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it highlights calendrical auspiciousness (Maghā–Trayodaśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer pāyasa made with honey and ghee to the pitṛs, especially when Maghā nakṣatra coincides with Trayodaśī.