Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

संतर्पयध्वं च पितॄन्निजान्गजदिने स्थिते । छायायां चैव जातायां कुञ्जरस्य द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

saṃtarpayadhvaṃ ca pitṝnnijāngajadine sthite | chāyāyāṃ caiva jātāyāṃ kuñjarasya dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Auch ihr sollt eure eigenen Ahnen (pitṛ) sättigen, o Beste der Brāhmaṇas, wenn der Gaja-Tag eintritt—wenn auch der Schatten des Elefanten erschienen ist.

Word by Word

• संतर्पयध्वम्: (you all) satisfy / offer oblations to
• संतर्पयध्वम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संतर्पय् (धातु √तृप्, णिच् causative)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (plural); परस्मैपद

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

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

• निजान्: one's own
• निजान्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पितॄन्)

• गजदिने: on the elephant-day (Gaja-dina)
• गजदिने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज-दिन (प्रातिपदिक; गज + दिन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गजस्य दिनम्)

• स्थिते: when it has arrived / when it is present
• स्थिते: Adhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग; विशेषण (गजदिने)

• छायायाम्: in the shade
• छायायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• जातायाम्: when it has arisen / occurred
• जातायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle), विशेषण (छायायाम्)

• कुञ्जरस्य: of the elephant
• कुञ्जरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुञ्जर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः द्विजाः)

Speaker

An unnamed narrator addressing brāhmaṇas; specific name not given in this excerpt

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside or sacred precinct at midday: an elephant nearby casts a distinct shadow; brāhmaṇas and pilgrims perform tarpaṇa, pouring water with sesame, marking the auspicious moment of Gaja-dina.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Gaja-dina (ritual day)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Choosing auspicious times and performing pitṛ-tarpaṇa is portrayed as a compassionate duty that strengthens one’s spiritual path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes a sacred time (Gaja-dina) rather than naming a specific tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pitṛ-tarpaṇa (santarpana of ancestors) specifically on Gaja-dina, marked by the appearance of the elephant’s shadow.