Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अमावास्यादिने प्राप्ते गृहद्वारं समाश्रिता । वायुभूताः प्रवांछन्ति श्राद्धं पितृगणा नृणाम् । यावदस्तमयं भानोः क्षुत्पिपासास माकुलाः

Transliteration

amāvāsyādine prāpte gṛhadvāraṃ samāśritā | vāyubhūtāḥ pravāṃchanti śrāddhaṃ pitṛgaṇā nṛṇām | yāvadastamayaṃ bhānoḥ kṣutpipāsāsa mākulāḥ

Translation

അമാവാസ്യാദിനം വന്നാൽ പിതൃഗണങ്ങൾ വായുസ്വരൂപമായ സൂക്ഷ്മരായി മനുഷ്യരുടെ വീടുകളുടെ വാതില്ക്കൽ നിലകൊണ്ട് ശ്രാദ്ധം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു; സൂര്യാസ്തമയം വരെ വിശപ്പും ദാഹവും കൊണ്ട് വ്യാകുലരായിരിക്കും।

Word by Word

• अमावास्या-दिने: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्या-दिने: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘अमावास्यायाः दिनम्’

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘(काले) प्राप्ते’ = when it has arrived

• गृह-द्वारम्: the house-door/threshold
• गृह-द्वारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘गृहस्य द्वारम्’

• सम्-आश्रिताः: having taken refuge at; having approached
• सम्-आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; उपसर्गौ सम्-आ-

• वायु-भूताः: become like wind; subtle as air
• वायु-भूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘वायुरिव भूताः/वायुभूताः’ (wind-like, subtle)

• प्र-वाञ्छन्ति: desire
• प्र-वाञ्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha offering
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पितृ-गणाः: groups of ancestors
• पितृ-गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘पितॄणां गणाः’

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक (until/as long as)

• अस्तमयम्: setting; sunset
• अस्तमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्तमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भानोः: of the sun
• भानोः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• क्षुत्-पिपासाः: hunger and thirst
• क्षुत्-पिपासाः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पिपासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (hunger and thirst)

• आ-आकुलाः: distressed; agitated
• आ-आकुलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपसर्गः आ- (intensifier)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At amāvāsyā, faint wind-like ancestral forms gather at doorways across a village; the Sun moves toward the western horizon while the Pitṛs wait, appearing thirsty and hungry.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛgaṇas
• Amāvāsyā
• Bhānu (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Amāvāsyā is presented as a compassionate appointment with the Pitṛs; neglecting it is portrayed as leaving them hungry and disappointed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes sacred time and household dharma within a tirtha-mahātmya narrative; it does not name a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha on amāvāsyā, ideally before sunset, as the Pitṛs are said to wait at the home’s threshold until the Sun sets.