Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततः प्रातस्तृतीयेऽह्नि कृतघ्नस्य महीपतिः । चक्रे श्राद्धं यथापूर्वं श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा

Transliteration

tataḥ prātastṛtīye'hni kṛtaghnasya mahīpatiḥ | cakre śrāddhaṃ yathāpūrvaṃ śraddhāpūtena cetasā

Translation

Puis, au matin du troisième jour, le roi accomplit de nouveau le śrāddha comme auparavant pour Kṛtaghna, l’esprit purifié par la foi.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: सम्बन्ध/काल-निर्देश (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘thereafter/then’

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: कालाधिकरण (Time adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• तृतीये: on the third
• तृतीये: अधिकरण (Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — ‘on the third’ (day)

• अह्नि: day
• अह्नि: अधिकरण (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• कृतघ्नस्य: of the ungrateful one (Kṛtaghna)
• कृतघ्नस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• महीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः: मही + पति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• चक्रे: performed, did
• चक्रे: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद-रूपं (classical perfect)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (funeral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: प्रकार-निर्देश (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/manner adverb)

• पूर्वम्: as before, previously
• पूर्वम्: प्रकार/काल-निर्देश (Manner/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् अव्यय (adverbial accusative) — ‘formerly/as before’

• श्रद्धापूतेन: with a mind purified by faith
• श्रद्धापूतेन: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा + पूत (कृदन्त, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः: श्रद्धया पूतः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः); ‘पूत’ = कृदन्त (क्त) from √पू (पूञ्/पू) ‘to purify’

• चेतसा: with (his) mind
• चेतसा: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller; likely Sūta-style narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn of the third day, the king sits facing south with kuśa grass and ritual vessels, offering piṇḍa and water with a composed, faith-brightened face; attendants and brāhmaṇas witness the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtaghna
• Gayāśiras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistency in ritual duty—sustained by faith—deepens the merit and ensures the intended welfare of the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayāśiras remains the implied sacred setting where repeated śrāddha is especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha repeatedly ‘as before’ (yathāpūrva) and with śraddhā as the inner qualification.