Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

नक्तं तु वर्जयेच्छ्राद्धं राहोरन्यत्र दर्शनात् । सर्वस्वेनापि कर्तव्यं क्षिप्रं वै राहुदर्शनात्

Transliteration

naktaṃ tu varjayecchrāddhaṃ rāhoranyatra darśanāt | sarvasvenāpi kartavyaṃ kṣipraṃ vai rāhudarśanāt

Translation

Ein nächtliches Śrāddha soll man meiden, außer beim Anblick Rāhus (der Finsternis). Wenn Rāhu gesehen wird, ist das Ritual unverzüglich zu vollziehen, selbst mit dem ganzen eigenen Vermögen; denn dieser Anblick verlangt rasches heiliges Handeln.

Word by Word

• naktam: at night
• naktam: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण; ‘रात्रौ’)

• tu: but, however
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अन्वय particle)

• varjayet: should avoid
• varjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛj (वृज् धातु; ‘वर्जयति’)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

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

• rāhoḥ: of Rāhu
• rāhoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• anyatra: elsewhere, except
• anyatra: Kriya-visheshana (Exception/अपवाद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देश/अपवादवाचक; ‘अन्यस्मिन् स्थाने/विना’)

• darśanāt: from/because of (the) sighting
• darśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (abl. sg.)

• sarvasvena: with one’s entire wealth
• sarvasvena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvasva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• api: even
• api: Kriya-visheshana (Emphasis/अपि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि-कारक particle)

• kartavyam: must be done
• kartavyam: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) + तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (कृत्य)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-भाव (gerundive; ‘to be done’)

• kṣipram: quickly
• kṣipram: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṣipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण; ‘शीघ्रम्’)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Kriya-visheshana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक particle)

• rāhu-darśanāt: because of seeing Rāhu (eclipse)
• rāhu-darśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāhu (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘राहोः दर्शनम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (abl. sg.)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night eclipse over the Prabhāsa coast; devotees quickly arrange śrāddha items under dim light, offering tarpaṇa while the eclipsed orb hangs in the sky, conveying urgency and sacred awe.

Characters & Entities

• Rāhu
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary celestial moments like an eclipse intensify ritual potency, so one should act promptly in pitṛ-dharma rather than delay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), presented as a powerful setting for śrāddha and dharmic observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid night-time śrāddha generally, but during Rāhu-darśana (eclipse) perform śrāddha immediately, even with maximal capacity.