Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

मृताहर्यो न जानाति मानवो यदि वा क्वचित् । तेन कार्यममावास्यां श्राद्धं माघेऽथ मार्गके

Transliteration

mṛtāharyo na jānāti mānavo yadi vā kvacit | tena kāryamamāvāsyāṃ śrāddhaṃ māghe'tha mārgake

Translation

If a person does not know (or is uncertain about) the exact death-day, then śrāddha should be performed on the new-moon day (amāvāsyā), in the month of Māgha, or else in Mārgaśīrṣa.

Word by Word

• मृताहर्यः: one connected with the dead (a mourner/performer of rites)
• मृताहर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आहर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मृतस्य आहर्यः = मृतस्य सम्बन्धी आहर्यः)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• क्वचित्: somewhere/at some time
• क्वचित्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb)

• तेन: by him/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: (it) should be done
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-भावे (to be done)

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: Śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• माघे: in the month of Māgha
• माघे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (मासवाचक)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencing/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/next)

• मार्गके: in Mārga(śīrṣa) month
• मार्गके: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (मासवाचक; मार्गशीर्षे)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing the instruction to Devī/Pārvatī) (deduced from immediate continuity with prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-sky amāvāsyā scene at the coast: dark moonless horizon, a devotee performs śrāddha by lamp-light; a calendar strip highlights Māgha and Mārgaśīrṣa as chosen months.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma provides compassionate alternatives: even when details are unknown, one can still honor ancestors through prescribed substitute timings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is transmitted within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, linking correct Pitṛ observance with the sacred authority of Prabhāsa traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If the death-day is unknown, perform śrāddha on Amāvāsyā, or in Māgha, or in Mārgaśīrṣa.