Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

शापितोऽसि मया प्राणैर्यथा वच्मि तथा कुरु । अहं सदा करिष्यामि दर्शे चोद्दिश्यते पितॄन्

Transliteration

śāpito'si mayā prāṇairyathā vacmi tathā kuru | ahaṃ sadā kariṣyāmi darśe coddiśyate pitṝn

Translation

You are bound by my very life-breath as a solemn charge: do exactly as I say. I shall ever perform the rite, and on the new-moon day (Amāvāsyā) the Pitṛs, the ancestral spirits, are to be invoked and offered to.

Word by Word

• शापितः: cursed
• शापितः: Karma (Predicate complement in passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कृत-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriyā (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (singular)

• प्राणैः: with (my) life-breaths / by my very life
• प्राणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Clause linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/अनुरूपवाचक-अव्ययम् (as/just as)

• वच्मि: I say
• वच्मि: Kriyā (Speech verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तथा: so/accordingly
• तथा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूपवाचक-अव्ययम् (so/accordingly)

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriyā (Imperative/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: always)

• करिष्यामि: I will do
• करिष्यामि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (simple future), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• दर्शे: on the new-moon rite/day (darśa)
• दर्शे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (locative/7th), एकवचनम् (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• उद्दिश्यते: is dedicated/assigned (as offering)
• उद्दिश्यते: Kriyā (Passive verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+दिश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular), आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative/2nd), बहुवचनम् (plural)

Speaker

Devaśarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forceful yet sacred moment: the speaker binds the listener with a life-breath oath and points to ritual implements; a moonless-night motif or a darkened sky hints at amāvāsyā; offerings to unseen ancestors are implied.

Characters & Entities

• Devaśarman
• Subhadra
• Pitṛs
• Darśa (new moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral duties are serious obligations; righteous vows must be carried out precisely.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it focuses on timing (darśa/new moon) for Pitṛ rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering to the Pitṛs with explicit dedication (uddiśya) on darśa (new moon).