Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तस्मिञ्छुभे कृष्णपक्षे प्रथमायां तथा तिथौ । श्राद्धं महालयं कुर्याद्यो नरो भक्तिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

tasmiñchubhe kṛṣṇapakṣe prathamāyāṃ tathā tithau | śrāddhaṃ mahālayaṃ kuryādyo naro bhaktipūrvakam

Translation

ആ ശുഭ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിൽ, ആദ്യ തിഥിയിലും, ഭക്തിപൂർവ്വം മഹാലയ ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്യുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ അതിന്റെ പുണ്യഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śubhe: auspicious
• śubhe: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरणविशेषणम्

• kṛṣṇa-pakṣe: in the dark fortnight
• kṛṣṇa-pakṣe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-अधिकरणम्

• prathamāyām: on the first lunar day
• prathamāyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prathamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक-अधिकरणम्

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (thus/also)

• tithau: on the tithi (lunar day)
• tithau: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-अधिकरणम्

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• mahālayam: (called) Mahālaya
• mahālayam: Karma (Object-apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; श्राद्धविशेषणम् (appositional)

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) [करणे]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• bhakti-pūrvakam: with devotion
• bhakti-pūrvakam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverbial)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahālaya śrāddha (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa prathamā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted householder begins Mahālaya on kṛṣṇa-pakṣa prathamā: kuśa grass laid out, tila-water for tarpaṇa, piṇḍas prepared, brāhmaṇas seated for bhojana; the devotee’s posture shows reverence and concentration.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālaya
• Śrāddha
• Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa
• Prathamā tithi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion plus correct timing makes ancestral rites especially fruitful and dharmically complete.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa backdrop supports the teaching, but the verse directly glorifies Mahālaya timing and śrāddha practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Mahālaya śrāddha in Bhādrapada kṛṣṇa pakṣa, specifically on the prathamā tithi, with devotion.