Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

शीतार्ता यद्वदिच्छंति वह्निं प्रावरणानि च । पितरस्तद्वदिच्छंति क्षुत्सामाश्चन्द्रसंक्षयम्

Transliteration

śītārtā yadvadicchaṃti vahniṃ prāvaraṇāni ca | pitarastadvadicchaṃti kṣutsāmāścandrasaṃkṣayam

Translation

തണുപ്പാൽ പീഡിതർ അഗ്നിയും പൊതികളും ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, ക്ഷുധയും ക്ഷീണവും കൊണ്ടു ദുർബലമായ പിതൃകൾ ചന്ദ്രസംക്ഷയം (അമാവാസ്യ) ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• शीतार्ताः: afflicted by cold
• शीतार्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीत + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (शीतेन आर्ताः = afflicted by cold)

• यत्: as
• यत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; यथार्थे (correlative: as/just as)

• वत्: like
• वत्: Sambandha (Comparator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तुलनार्थक (comparative particle: like)

• इच्छन्ति: desire
• इच्छन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• वह्निम्: fire
• वह्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रावरणानि: coverings, garments
• प्रावरणानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रावरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

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

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तत्: so, in that way
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थे (correlative: so/that)

• वत्: like
• वत्: Sambandha (Comparator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तुलनार्थक (like)

• इच्छन्ति: desire
• इच्छन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• क्षुत्सामाः: hungry
• क्षुत्सामाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् + साम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (क्षुत्-सामाḥ = hunger-equal/like hunger; i.e., hungry)

• चन्द्रसंक्षयम्: the waning of the moon
• चन्द्रसंक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चन्द्रस्य संक्षयः)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split-scene metaphor: on one side, shivering travelers reaching toward a fire and blankets; on the other, ethereal Pitṛs with faint bodies reaching toward offerings under a darkened moon; a riverbank altar connects both.

Characters & Entities

• Pitaras
• Candra (Moon)
• Amāvāsyā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is portrayed as compassionate support to the Pitṛs; amāvāsyā is the moment they especially long for offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is on the pitṛ-kāla (amāvāsyā) within a tirtha-glorifying section; the verse itself does not name a particular site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly recommends performing pitṛ offerings/śrāddha at the Moon’s waning (amāvāsyā), when the ancestors are said to be most expectant.