Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ततःप्रभृति चक्रुस्ते श्राद्धानि द्विजसत्तमाः । त्रयोदश्यां नभस्यस्य कृष्णायां भक्तितत्पराः

Transliteration

tataḥprabhṛti cakruste śrāddhāni dvijasattamāḥ | trayodaśyāṃ nabhasyasya kṛṣṇāyāṃ bhaktitatparāḥ

Translation

Dès lors, ces brāhmanes d’élite commencèrent à accomplir les rites de Śrāddha avec ferveur, le jour de Trayodaśī (treizième jour lunaire) de la quinzaine sombre du mois de Nabhasya (Bhādrapada).

Word by Word

• ततःप्रभृति: from then onward
• ततःप्रभृति: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः-प्रभृति (अव्यय; ततः + प्रभृति)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb); अव्ययीभाव-समास

• चक्रुः: performed / did
• चक्रुः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्राद्धानि: śrāddha rites
• श्राद्धानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (सत्तमाः द्विजाः)

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth (lunar day)
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• नभस्यस्य: of the month Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)
• नभस्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• कृष्णायाम्: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पक्षे)

• भक्तितत्पराः: devotionally intent
• भक्तितत्पराः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति-तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक; भक्ति + तत्पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते/द्विजसत्तमाः); समासः तत्पुरुष (भक्तौ तत्पराः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Bhartṛyajña continuing the account before 221.1 explicitly names him)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas perform śrāddha on a dark-fortnight trayodaśī: ritual ground with kuśa grass, piṇḍa offerings, water vessels; solemn devotion under a late-monsoon sky (Bhādrapada).

Characters & Entities

• Dvijas (Brāhmaṇas)
• Śrāddha
• Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)
• Trayodaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional discipline (bhakti) expressed through timely Śrāddha observance is portrayed as a powerful dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, within the Gajacchāyā-māhātmya context of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing Śrāddha on trayodaśī during the dark fortnight of Bhādrapada (Nabhasya).