Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 114

Devanagari script

श्राद्धकाले तु संप्राप्ते यश्चैतत्पठते द्विजः । स प्राप्नोति फलं कृत्स्नं गयाश्राद्धसमुद्भवम्

Transliteration

śrāddhakāle tu saṃprāpte yaścaitatpaṭhate dvijaḥ | sa prāpnoti phalaṃ kṛtsnaṃ gayāśrāddhasamudbhavam

Translation

Lorsque vient le temps du Śrāddha, le « deux-fois-né » qui récite ceci obtient le fruit entier, réputé provenir de l’accomplissement du Śrāddha à Gayā.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धकाले: at the time of śrāddha
• श्राद्धकाले: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध-काल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; श्राद्धस्य कालः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: सम्बन्ध/वाक्यालङ्कार (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• संप्राप्ते: having arrived; when (it) has come
• संप्राप्ते: अधिकरणे विशेषण (Qualifier of locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(काले) संप्राप्ते’ = when (the time) has arrived

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक relative pronoun

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

• एतत्: this (text/this)
• एतत्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• पठते: recites; reads
• पठते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विजः: a twice-born (brāhmaṇa etc.)
• द्विजः: कर्ता (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative pronoun)

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्स्नम्: entire; complete
• कृत्स्नम्: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इति विशेषण

• गयाश्राद्धसमुद्भवम्: arising from the Gayā-śrāddha
• गयाश्राद्धसमुद्भवम्: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गया-श्राद्ध-समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इति विशेषण; ‘गयायां श्राद्धात् समुद्भवम्’ इति (सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Indra (Sahasrākṣa), within Sūta’s narration context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgahrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical Sūta frame; not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed dvija recites a palm-leaf text of Nāgahrada-māhātmya beside a serene sacred pond; a śrāddha setting with piṇḍas, darbha, and pitṛs subtly suggested receiving offerings; distant suggestion of Gayā as an archetypal benchmark.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Gayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic recitation can amplify śrāddha, conferring results comparable to renowned pilgrimage rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāga-tīrtha/Nāgahrada is praised by linking its recitation to the famed merit of Gayā-śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite this māhātmya specifically during the śrāddha period to obtain full śrāddha fruit.