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

Si una persona no conoce (o duda de) el día exacto de la muerte, entonces el śrāddha debe realizarse en amāvāsyā (luna nueva), en el mes de Māgha, o bien en 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.