Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

शुक्लपक्षस्य पूर्वाह्णे श्राद्धं कुर्याद्विचक्षणः । कृष्णपक्षेऽपराह्ने तु रौहिणं न विलंघयेत्

Transliteration

śuklapakṣasya pūrvāhṇe śrāddhaṃ kuryādvicakṣaṇaḥ | kṛṣṇapakṣe'parāhne tu rauhiṇaṃ na vilaṃghayet

Translation

Der Einsichtige soll das Śrāddha am Vormittag in der hellen Monatshälfte (śukla-pakṣa) vollziehen; in der dunklen Hälfte (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa) jedoch am Nachmittag—ohne die rechte Rohiṇī-Observanz bzw. Zeitregel zu übertreten.

Word by Word

• śukla-pakṣasya: of the bright fortnight
• śukla-pakṣasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुक्लः पक्षः)

• pūrvāhṇe: in the forenoon
• pūrvāhṇe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvāhṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

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

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vicakṣaṇaḥ: a discerning person
• vicakṣaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (the wise person)

• kṛṣṇa-pakṣe: in the dark fortnight
• kṛṣṇa-pakṣe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृष्णः पक्षः)

• aparāhṇe: in the afternoon
• aparāhṇe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparāhṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Discourse (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अन्वय/विरोध

• rauhiṇam: Rauhiṇa (Rohiṇī time/period)
• rauhiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rauhiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नक्षत्र/कालविशेष (Rohiṇī-related time)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• vilaṃghayet: should not transgress/overstep
• vilaṃghayet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √laṅgh (धातु) + vi
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; निषेधेन सह ‘न …येत्’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (pitṛ-śrāddha context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder at Prabhāsa consults a pañcāṅga while a priest indicates the sun’s position: forenoon light for śukla-pakṣa śrāddha, afternoon shadows for kṛṣṇa-pakṣa; Rohiṇī star motif appears above as a cautionary marker.

Characters & Entities

• Śukla-pakṣa
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa
• Rohiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right timing is part of dharma; Śrāddha gains appropriateness and steadiness when aligned with prescribed temporal order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, implying that tīrtha-rites should be done with correct kāla-niyama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha in the forenoon in Śukla-pakṣa, and in the afternoon in Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa, observing the Rohiṇī-related restriction.