Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तस्माद्भाद्रपदे मासे कृष्णपक्षे महालयम् । पितॄनुद्दिश्य शक्त्या ये ब्राह्मणान्वेदपारगान्

Transliteration

tasmādbhādrapade māse kṛṣṇapakṣe mahālayam | pitṝnuddiśya śaktyā ye brāhmaṇānvedapāragān

Translation

Ainsi donc, au mois de Bhādrapada, durant la quinzaine sombre, à Mahālaya—ceux qui, en l’offrant à leurs ancêtres, selon leurs moyens, honorent et nourrissent des brāhmaṇas versés dans les Veda…

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-अर्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘therefore/from that’ (ablatival sense)

• भाद्रपदे: in Bhādrapada
• भाद्रपदे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाद्रपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मासे: in the month
• मासे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• महालयम्: Mahālaya
• महालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• उद्दिश्य: having dedicated (to)
• उद्दिश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु) → उद्दिश्य (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund)

• शक्त्या: with (one’s) capacity
• शक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘with ability/according to capacity’

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• वेदपारगान्: well-versed in the Vedas
• वेदपारगान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (‘gone to the far shore of the Veda’ = well-versed)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahālaya observance at Setu (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Mahālaya śrāddha setting: a clean ritual space near the shore, kuśa grass and water vessels arranged; Veda-versed brāhmaṇas seated, the householder offering respectful invitations and preparing abundant food dedicated to pitṛs.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālaya
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral worship becomes effective when paired with sincere charity and honouring the learned, done within one’s means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra context frames the teaching, but the verse primarily glorifies Mahālaya as a sacred time for Pitṛ rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During Mahālaya in Bhādrapada kṛṣṇa pakṣa, feed/offer hospitality to Veda-versed Brāhmaṇas for the sake of the ancestors.