Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

चतुर्थ्यां तु तथाष्टम्यां पक्षयोः शुक्लकृष्णयोः । श्राद्धं तत्रैव कर्तव्यं वित्तशाठ्येन वर्जितः

Transliteration

caturthyāṃ tu tathāṣṭamyāṃ pakṣayoḥ śuklakṛṣṇayoḥ | śrāddhaṃ tatraiva kartavyaṃ vittaśāṭhyena varjitaḥ

Translation

ശുക്ലവും കൃഷ്ണവും—ഇരു പക്ഷങ്ങളിലും—ചതുർത്ഥിയും അഷ്ടമിയും തിഥികളിൽ അവിടെയേ ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്യണം; ധനകാര്യത്തിൽ കപടം ഒഴിവാക്കണം.

Word by Word

• चतुर्थ्याम्: on the fourth (tithi)
• चतुर्थ्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time-adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time-adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• पक्षयोः: of the two fortnights
• पक्षयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Dual)

• शुक्लकृष्णयोः: of the bright and dark (fortnights)
• शुक्लकृष्णयोः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (Masculine, Genitive, Dual; qualifying पक्षयोः)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• कर्तव्यम्: should be performed
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-भावः ‘करणीयम्’ (Gerundive; ‘to be done’)

• वित्तशाठ्येन: by/with deceit regarding wealth
• वित्तशाठ्येन: Hetu/Apadana (Cause to be avoided/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त + शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वित्तस्य शाठ्यम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• वर्जितः: avoiding, free from
• वर्जितः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे ‘वर्जितः’ = ‘वर्जयित्वा/वर्जनशीलः’ (Past participle used adjectivally; Masculine Nom. Sing.)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Royal interlocutor (king) in the passage frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank altar, the performer conducts śrāddha with darbha grass, piṇḍas, and water offerings; lunar calendar symbols hint at caturthī and aṣṭamī; the mood stresses honesty and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Caturthī
• Aṣṭamī
• Śrāddha
• Śukla-pakṣa
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual duty must be performed with honesty and generosity; deceit in religious giving undermines dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is situated in the Māṅgaleśvara tīrtha setting of Revā-khaṇḍa (“there itself”).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha on Caturthī and Aṣṭamī in both fortnights at the tīrtha, avoiding any stinginess or deception about wealth.