Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पायसं मधुसर्पिर्भ्यां वर्षासु च मघासु च । मघात्रयोदशीयोगे पायसेन यजेत्पितॄन्

Transliteration

pāyasaṃ madhusarpirbhyāṃ varṣāsu ca maghāsu ca | maghātrayodaśīyoge pāyasena yajetpitṝn

Translation

Avec du pāyasa (riz au lait sacré) préparé avec miel et ghee—surtout durant la saison des pluies et sous la nakṣatra Maghā—lorsque Maghā coïncide avec la Trayodaśī, qu’on vénère les ancêtres au moyen du pāyasa.

Word by Word

• पायसम्: rice-pudding (offering)
• पायसम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मधु: with honey
• मधु: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘सर्पिः’ इत्यनेन सह द्वन्द्वार्थे समुच्चयः

• सर्पिःभ्याम्: with ghee (together with honey)
• सर्पिःभ्याम्: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिस्/सर्पिः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; मधु-सर्पिः इत्यर्थे साधारणतया ‘मधुसर्पिर्भ्याम्’ (द्वन्द्व-समाहार) रूपेण प्रयोगः

• वर्षासु: in the rainy season(s)
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मघासु: in (the) Maghā (asterism days)
• मघासु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; नक्षत्रनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मघात्रयोदशीयोगे: on the conjunction of Maghā and Trayodaśī
• मघात्रयोदशीयोगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघा (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मघा-त्रयोदशी-योः योगः)

• पायसेन: with rice-pudding
• पायसेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• यजेत्: should worship/offer sacrifice
• यजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; instructional tone)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king) implied by nearby address in the passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder performs pitṛ-ārādhana: a low altar with darbha, water-pot, and a golden bowl of pāyasa glistening with ghee and honey; monsoon clouds gather; the lunar calendar and Maghā star are symbolically shown above.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Maghā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual precision—timing (tithi and nakṣatra) and proper offerings—is portrayed as a direct means to please the pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it highlights calendrical auspiciousness (Maghā–Trayodaśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer pāyasa made with honey and ghee to the pitṛs, especially when Maghā nakṣatra coincides with Trayodaśī.