Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं कार्यममावास्यां मासिमासींदुसंक्षये । तथाष्टकासु विप्राप्तौ सूर्येन्दुग्रहणे तथा

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ kāryamamāvāsyāṃ māsimāsīṃdusaṃkṣaye | tathāṣṭakāsu viprāptau sūryendugrahaṇe tathā

Translation

Śrāddha soll am Amāvāsyā-Tag, Monat für Monat beim Abnehmen des Mondes, vollzogen werden; ebenso an den Aṣṭakā-Tagen, beim Eintreffen würdiger Brāhmaṇas und auch während Sonnen- und Mondfinsternissen.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विधेय-विशेषण; भविष्यत्कर्मणि/अर्हार्थक कृदन्त (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be done’

• अमावास्यायाम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• मासि: in a month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• मासि: month by month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (मासि मासि = every month)

• इन्दुसंक्षये: at the waning of the moon
• इन्दुसंक्षये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इन्दोः संक्षयः)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• अष्टकासु: on the aṣṭakā days
• अष्टकासु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• विप्राप्तौ: at the occurrence/arrival
• विप्राप्तौ: Adhikarana (Time/Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + प्र + आप् (धातु) → विप्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम

• सूर्येन्दुग्रहणे: at solar/lunar eclipse
• सूर्येन्दुग्रहणे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (सूर्य+इन्दु) + तत्पुरुष (ग्रहण) = ‘eclipse of sun and moon’

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene at Prabhāsa: a householder performs śrāddha with kuśa grass, tila, and water, while brāhmaṇas sit to receive offerings; above, the moon wanes toward Amāvāsyā and an eclipse disk is hinted.

Characters & Entities

• Amāvāsyā
• Aṣṭakā
• Brāhmaṇa
• Sūrya-grahaṇa
• Candra-grahaṇa
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma becomes especially potent at sacred times; performing Śrāddha on key lunar and cosmic occasions multiplies benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose māhātmya the authoritative schedule for Śrāddha is taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha on Amāvāsyā, on Aṣṭakā days, upon the arrival of suitable Brāhmaṇas, and during solar/lunar eclipses.