Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सोऽयं भाद्रपदे मासे कृष्णपक्षे महालयम् । पार्वणेन विधानेन पितॄणां नाकरोन्मुदा

Transliteration

so'yaṃ bhādrapade māse kṛṣṇapakṣe mahālayam | pārvaṇena vidhānena pitṝṇāṃ nākaronmudā

Translation

Cet homme-là, au mois de Bhādrapada, durant la quinzaine sombre, au temps de Mahālaya, n’accomplit pas avec joie le rite ancestral pour les Pitṛ selon la règle prescrite du pārvaṇa.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this (same person)
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भाद्रपदे: in (the month of) Bhādrapada
• भाद्रपदे: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाद्रपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• मासे: in the month
• मासे: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: 'dark fortnight'); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• महालयम्: Mahālaya (ancestral rite period)
• महालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• पार्वणेन: by the parva-rite (fortnightly rite)
• पार्वणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: of/for the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अकरोत्: did, performed
• अकरोत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• मुदा: with joy / gladly
• मुदा: Hetu (Manner/Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract)

Speaker

Dattātreya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa in Bhādrapada dark fortnight sits distracted, turning away from a prepared śrāddha setup (piṇḍa, kuśa, water vessel); shadowy pitṛ figures appear disappointed, foreshadowing his fall.

Characters & Entities

• Bhādrapada
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa
• Mahālaya
• Pitṛs
• Pārvaṇa (śrāddha rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring the ancestors through śrāddha is a core duty; neglecting pitṛ-dharma leads to spiritual and karmic decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly named in this verse; it continues the Setukṣetra narrative while emphasizing pitṛ-ritual obligation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing Mahālaya śrāddha for the Pitṛs using the prescribed pārvaṇa-vidhi.