Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

प्रेतपक्षे कृते श्राद्धे कन्यासंस्थे दिवाकरे । एकस्मिन्नहनि प्रायस्तृप्तिः स्याद्वर्षसंभवा

Transliteration

pretapakṣe kṛte śrāddhe kanyāsaṃsthe divākare | ekasminnahani prāyastṛptiḥ syādvarṣasaṃbhavā

Translation

Lorsque le Śrāddha est accompli durant le Pretapakṣa, tandis que le Soleil se tient en Kanyā (Vierge), en un seul jour s’obtient, pour ainsi dire, une satisfaction qui dure une année.

Word by Word

• प्रेतपक्षे: in the fortnight of the departed (Pitṛpakṣa)
• प्रेतपक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pretānāṃ pakṣaḥ)

• कृते: when performed/done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from कृ (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• श्राद्धे: in/at the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कन्यासंस्थे: when (the sun) is in Kanyā (Virgo)
• कन्यासंस्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्या + संस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from सम्-स्था (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (kanyāyāṃ saṃsthaḥ = situated in Virgo)

• दिवाकरे: when the sun is (so placed)
• दिवाकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एकस्मिन्: in one
• एकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रायः: generally/for the most part
• प्रायः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायस् (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तृप्तिः: satisfaction
• तृप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वर्षसम्भवा: lasting for a year/annual
• वर्षसम्भवा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ष + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (varṣa-sambhavā = arising for a year / annual)

Speaker

Hiraṇyākṣa (statement within boon request context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pretapakṣa-śrāddha-kāla (Kanyā-ravi)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene śrāddha scene: performer offers piṇḍa and water (tarpaṇa) with kuśa grass; the Sun is symbolically shown in Kanyā-rāśi; pitṛs appear satisfied, luminous, receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Pretapakṣa
• Sūrya (Divākara)
• Kanyā (Virgo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper season and cosmic timing amplify the fruit of śrāddha, turning a single day’s rite into enduring benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the emphasis is on the sacred time-window (Pretapakṣa with Sun in Kanyā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha during Pretapakṣa when the Sun is in Kanyā (Virgo) for greatly increased ancestral satisfaction.