Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

संततिं चाप्यविच्छिन्नां दद्युः पितृगणाः सदा । एकादश्यां नरो भक्त्या श्राद्धं कुर्यान्महालयम्

Transliteration

saṃtatiṃ cāpyavicchinnāṃ dadyuḥ pitṛgaṇāḥ sadā | ekādaśyāṃ naro bhaktyā śrāddhaṃ kuryānmahālayam

Translation

Les cohortes des Pitṛs accordent toujours une lignée ininterrompue ; et au onzième tithi, l’homme doit accomplir avec dévotion le śrāddha de Mahālaya.

Word by Word

• संततिम्: progeny, lineage
• संततिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (also/even)

• अविच्छिन्नाम्: unbroken, uninterrupted
• अविच्छिन्नाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविच्छिन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् संततिम् प्रति

• दद्युः: would give / should grant
• दद्युः: Kriya (Verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पितृगणाः: groups of ancestors
• पितृगणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: पितॄणां गणाः

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• एकादश्याम्: on the eleventh (tithi)
• एकादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• महालयम्: Mahālaya (rite)
• महालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs Mahālaya śrāddha on Ekādaśī; pitṛs bless him with a symbolic unbroken garland/line of descendants behind the family altar.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛgaṇa
• Ekādaśī
• Mahālaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion (bhakti) joined to duty (śrāddha) brings both spiritual gratitude and the stabilizing blessing of family continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra’s Mahālaya setting; the verse emphasizes Ekādaśī timing within the Setu Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Mahālaya śrāddha with devotion on Ekādaśī.