Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं विनापि दत्तेन श्रुतिरेषा पुरातनी । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पित्र्यर्क्ष्ये समुपस्थिते । त्रयोदश्यां नभस्यस्य हस्तगे दिननायके

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ vināpi dattena śrutireṣā purātanī | tasmātsarvaprayatnena pitryarkṣye samupasthite | trayodaśyāṃ nabhasyasya hastage dinanāyake

Translation

Dies ist eine uralte Überlieferung der Śruti: Selbst wenn ein förmliches Śrāddha fehlt, besitzt die dargebrachte Gabe dennoch religiöse Wirkkraft. Darum soll man mit allem Eifer, wenn das Pitṛ-Asterismus eingetroffen ist—am dreizehnten Tag des Monats Nabhasya, wenn die Sonne in Hasta steht—die vorgeschriebene Gabe darbringen.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय; वियोगार्थक-पूर्वपद (indeclinable preposition: 'without')

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; concessive/emphatic)

• दत्तेन: by what is given (a gift)
• दत्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग-सम्भव (Instrumental Singular; 'given')

• श्रुतिः: scriptural statement/tradition
• श्रुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom., Singular)

• एषा: this
• एषा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun; Feminine, Nom., Singular)

• पुरातनी: ancient
• पुरातनी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom., Singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभूत (ablative-form used adverbially: 'therefore/from that')

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Instr., Singular); समासः—सर्वप्रयत्न (all-effort)

• पित्र्यर्क्ष्ये: in the ancestral arghya-offering (context)
• पित्र्यर्क्ष्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पित्र्य + अर्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Loc., Singular); समासः—पित्र्य-अर्क्ष्य (ancestral/pertaining-to-fathers + arghya/offer-water)

• समुपस्थिते: when it has arrived/when present
• समुपस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-√स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग-सम्भव (Locative Singular; 'when present/when arrived')

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth lunar day
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Loc., Singular)

• नभस्यस्य: of Nabhasya (month)
• नभस्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Gen., Singular)

• हस्तगे: when (the moon) is in Hasta
• हस्तगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Loc., Singular); समासः—हस्त-ग (in the asterism Hasta)

• दिननायके: when the Sun (day-lord) is (so situated)
• दिननायके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Loc., Singular); समासः—दिन-नायक (lord of the day = Sun)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator/teacher in Nāgarakhaṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage cites ancient śruti while pointing to the sky-chart: the Sun aligned with Hasta; a calendar leaf marks Nabhasya Trayodaśī; devotees prepare simple gifts even without full śrāddha setup.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Pitṛs
• Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)
• Hasta
• Sūrya (implied by dinanāyaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural tradition upholds that sincere giving, properly timed and dedicated, remains potent even when full ritual formality is not possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the line itself foregrounds calendrical timing (tithi/nakṣatra) rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make the prescribed pitṛ-oriented gifts with special effort on Bhādrapada (Nabhasya) trayodaśī when the Sun is in Hasta and the Pitṛ-asterism is present.