Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 127
हव्यं देवा न गृह्णंति कव्यं चैव पितामहाः । यत्र देवा न गृह्णंति कथं तत्र पितामहाः । तस्मात्कार्य्या तृतीया च पूर्वविद्धा बुधैर्नरैः
havyaṃ devā na gṛhṇaṃti kavyaṃ caiva pitāmahāḥ | yatra devā na gṛhṇaṃti kathaṃ tatra pitāmahāḥ | tasmātkāryyā tṛtīyā ca pūrvaviddhā budhairnaraiḥ
The gods do not accept havya, and the forefathers do not accept kavya. Where the gods do not accept, how could the forefathers accept there? Therefore the wise should perform the tṛtīyā according to the pūrva-viddhā rule, as prescribed.
Sūta (deduced)
Tirtha: Dvārakā
Type: kshetra
Scene: A ritual scene split symbolically: devas above and pitṛs below, both turning away from offerings when the tithi is wrongly chosen; the officiant corrects the timing, after which both accept.
FAQs
Ritual efficacy depends on correct dharmic timing; acceptance by devas/pitṛs is linked to proper tithi performance.
The instruction is embedded in Dvārakā Māhātmya, reinforcing Hari-centered dharma in Dvārakā.
A specific tithi rule: perform tṛtīyā as pūrva-viddhā (as stated in this textual tradition).