Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

कस्मान्न पार्वणं तत्र क्रियते दिवसे स्थिते । प्रेतपक्षे विशेषेण कृते श्राद्धेऽखिलेऽपि च

Transliteration

kasmānna pārvaṇaṃ tatra kriyate divase sthite | pretapakṣe viśeṣeṇa kṛte śrāddhe'khile'pi ca

Translation

Warum wird dort das pārvana-śrāddha nicht vollzogen, obwohl der betreffende Tag eingetreten ist? Zumal während der ganzen Pretapakṣa überall śrāddha-Riten dargebracht werden.

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: why
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative sg: 'why')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• पार्वणम्: the pārvaṇa (monthly śrāddha) rite
• पार्वणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• क्रियते: is done/performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (present, 3rd sg, passive/ātmanepada usage)

• दिवसे: on the day
• दिवसे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (loc sg)

• स्थिते: when (it is) situated/occurring
• स्थिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; 'दिवसे' इति विशेषणम् (loc sg agreeing with divase)

• प्रेतपक्षे: in the fortnight of the departed (pitṛ period)
• प्रेतपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (loc sg)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; प्रकारे (instrumental sg: 'especially')

• कृते: when performed/done
• कृते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; 'श्राद्धे' इति विशेषणम् (loc sg: 'when done')

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha (rite)
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (loc sg)

• अखिले: in the whole/entire
• अखिले: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; 'श्राद्धे' इति विशेषणम् (loc sg: 'in the entire [rite]')

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

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

Speaker

Ānarta (continuing inquiry)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual calendar scroll unfurled before the sage and king: Pretapakṣa days marked, with a highlighted note ‘pārvaṇa not performed here’; nearby, a ghāṭa scene shows an alternative śrāddha being conducted, emphasizing local rule over general custom.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not all śrāddhas are interchangeable: the category (ekoddiṣṭa/pārvaṇa) must match the intended recipients and condition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It questions the non-performance of pārvaṇa śrāddha in a particular context during Pretapakṣa.