Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

आषाढ्यां च तथा माघ्यां कार्तिक्यां संगमे नरः । पितॄणां तर्पणं स्नानं श्राद्धं पावकपूजनम् । कुर्याच्चैव तथा दानं यदीच्छेदक्षयं पदम्

Transliteration

āṣāḍhyāṃ ca tathā māghyāṃ kārtikyāṃ saṃgame naraḥ | pitṝṇāṃ tarpaṇaṃ snānaṃ śrāddhaṃ pāvakapūjanam | kuryāccaiva tathā dānaṃ yadīcchedakṣayaṃ padam

Translation

In the months of Āṣāḍha, Māgha, and Kārtika, at the confluence a man should perform bathing, tarpaṇa offerings to the ancestors, śrāddha, worship of the sacred fire (pāvaka/agni), and also charity—if he desires the imperishable state.

Word by Word

• āṣāḍhyām: in (the month of) Āṣāḍha
• āṣāḍhyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āṣāḍhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; मास-नाम (in the month Āṣāḍha)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• māghyām: in (the month of) Māgha
• māghyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māghī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; मास-नाम (in the month Māgha)

• kārtikyām: in (the month of) Kārtika
• kārtikyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; मास-नाम (in the month Kārtika)

• saṃgame: at the confluence
• saṃgame: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• tarpaṇam: libation/satiation-offering
• tarpaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tarpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• snānam: bath
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• pāvaka-pūjanam: worship of fire
• pāvaka-pūjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pāvakasya pūjanam)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• dānam: gift/charity
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

• icchet: should desire
• icchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• akṣayam: imperishable
• akṣayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying padam)

• padam: state/abode
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya discourse context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomātī–Udadhi-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the confluence ghat in Māgha/Kārtika/Āṣāḍha, a devotee completes a sequence: bathing, tarpaṇa, śrāddha offerings, a small sacred fire altar with oblations, and distribution of alms to priests and the poor.

Characters & Entities

• Gomātī (implied by context)
• Udadhि (implied by context)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Agni/Pāvaka
• Āṣāḍha
• Māgha
• Kārtika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seasonal sacred months and tīrtha observances—joined with ancestral rites, fire worship, and charity—lead to imperishable spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The saṅgama in the Dvārakā Māhātmya context—specifically the Gomātī–ocean confluence highlighted in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna, pitṛ-tarpaṇa, śrāddha, pāvaka-pūjana (Agni worship), and dāna during Āṣāḍha, Māgha, and Kārtika at the confluence.