Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

फाल्गुनांते कुहूं प्राप्य तथा प्रौष्ठपदेऽसिते । पक्षे गंगामधि प्राप्य स्नानं च पितृतर्पणम्

Transliteration

phālgunāṃte kuhūṃ prāpya tathā prauṣṭhapade'site | pakṣe gaṃgāmadhi prāpya snānaṃ ca pitṛtarpaṇam

Translation

At the end of Phālguna, upon the Kuhū (new-moon) day, and likewise in the dark fortnight of Prauṣṭhapada—having reached the Gaṅgā, one should bathe and offer libations (tarpaṇa) to the ancestors.

Word by Word

• फाल्गुन-अन्ते: at the end of Phālguna
• फाल्गुन-अन्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (फाल्गुनस्य अन्ते)

• कुहूम्: Kuhū (new-moon day)
• कुहूम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुहू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अमावास्या-विशेषः (new-moon day named Kuhū)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), ‘having reached/obtained’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘likewise/also’

• प्रौष्ठपदे: in (the month) Prauṣṭhapada
• प्रौष्ठपदे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रौष्ठपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मास-नाम

• असिते: in the dark (fortnight)
• असिते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘dark (fortnight)’

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गङ्गाम्: the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अधि: at/on
• अधि: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय (preposition), ‘upon/at/near’

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Enjoined act/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सूची/विधानार्थे)

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

• पितृ-तर्पणम्: offering libations to the ancestors
• पितृ-तर्पणम्: Karma (Enjoined act/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां तर्पणम्)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at dawn on Gaṅgā: bathing, then standing waist-deep offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; the sky suggests seasonal transition (Phālguna end) and solemn ancestral remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Gaṅgā
• Phālguna
• Kuhū (Amāvāsyā)
• Prauṣṭhapada (Bhādrapada)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time (kāla) and place (tīrtha) together intensify dharmic acts—ancestral rites gain special potency at Gaṅgā on sacred lunar dates.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā and her banks as the proper locus for snāna and pitṛ-tarpaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-snāna (bathing) and pitṛ-tarpaṇa (libations to ancestors) on specified calendrical occasions.