Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

यच्छ्रेयो जायते पुंसः पक्षश्राद्धेन पार्थिव । कृतेन तत्फलं कृत्स्नं तस्मिन्नहनि पार्थिव

Transliteration

yacchreyo jāyate puṃsaḥ pakṣaśrāddhena pārthiva | kṛtena tatphalaṃ kṛtsnaṃ tasminnahani pārthiva

Translation

Welches Heil auch immer dem Menschen aus dem vierzehntägigen Śrāddha erwächst, o König—vollzieht man diese Observanz an jenem Tag, so wird die ganze Frucht davon erlangt, o König.

Word by Word

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Karma (कर्म) / Subject-complement
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• श्रेयः: benefit, merit
• श्रेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• जायते: arises/is produced
• जायते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पुंसः: of a man
• पुंसः: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• पक्षश्राद्धेन: by the fortnightly śrāddha
• पक्षश्राद्धेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पक्षे कृतं श्राद्धम्)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• कृतेन: by (it) being performed
• कृतेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; (श्राद्धेन) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; 'done/performed'

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; फलम् इति विशेषणम्

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृत्स्नम्: entire, complete
• कृत्स्नम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; फलम् इति विशेषणम्

• तस्मिन्: on that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Unnamed narrator/teacher addressing a king (pārthiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal patron listens as a sage explains that a single observance day can yield the full benefit of pakṣa-śrāddha; attendants prepare simple offerings near a tīrtha ghat.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs (implied)
• pārthiva (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain sacred days/contexts concentrate ritual merit, making a single well-timed act yield the full benefit of recurring observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-mahātmya discourse; the line highlights the day’s potency rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the prescribed pitṛ-related act on that specific day to gain the complete fruit comparable to pakṣa-śrāddha.