Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

गर्भे वार्धुषिके प्रेते भृत्ये मासानुमासिके । आब्दिके च तथा श्राद्धे नाधिमासो विधीयते

Transliteration

garbhe vārdhuṣike prete bhṛtye māsānumāsike | ābdike ca tathā śrāddhe nādhimāso vidhīyate

Translation

For rites connected with a miscarriage (garbha), for the vārddhuṣika observance, for funeral rites for the departed, for a servant’s death-rite, for the monthly śrāddha, and likewise for the annual śrāddha—an intercalary month (adhimāsa) is not to be used as the time of performance.

Word by Word

• गर्भे: in (case of) pregnancy
• गर्भे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• वार्धुषिके: in the vārdhuṣika (rite/occasion)
• वार्धुषिके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्धुषिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः/पुंलिङ्गः (प्रयोगे), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; वार्धुषिक-श्राद्धादि-सन्दर्भः

• प्रेते: in (case of) a deceased person
• प्रेते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• भृत्ये: in (case of) a servant
• भृत्ये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मासानुमासिके: in the monthly (rite)
• मासानुमासिके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास + अनुमासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः/पुंलिङ्गः (प्रयोगे), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (मासे मासे भवम्)

• आब्दिके: in the annual (rite)
• आब्दिके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आब्दिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः/पुंलिङ्गः (प्रयोगे), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb/particle)

• श्राद्धे: in śrāddha
• श्राद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम्

• अधिमासः: intercalary month (adhimāsa)
• अधिमासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (अधिकः मासः)

• विधीयते: is prescribed
• विधीयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive): ‘is prescribed/ordained’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn śrāddha setting: priest enumerates categories of death-related rites, pointing to an intercalary-month marker on a calendar; mourners listen with composed grief, offerings arranged but held back until the proper month.

Characters & Entities

• Adhimāsa
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-karmas must be performed with strict calendrical propriety; devotion is strengthened by disciplined adherence to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, framing dharma as part of the sacred order associated with Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not schedule certain death-related and periodic śrāddhas in adhimāsa (intercalary month).