Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अक्षया धर्मकृत्ये सा पितृकृत्ये विशेषतः । अग्निष्वात्ता बर्हिषद आज्यपाः सोमपास्तथा

Transliteration

akṣayā dharmakṛtye sā pitṛkṛtye viśeṣataḥ | agniṣvāttā barhiṣada ājyapāḥ somapāstathā

Translation

ആ അമാവാസി ധർമ്മകൃത്യങ്ങളിൽ അക്ഷയഫലം നൽകുന്നതും, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് പിതൃകൃത്യങ്ങളിൽ മഹാപുണ്യദായിനിയുമാണ്. ആ അവസരത്തിൽ അഗ്നിഷ്വാത്തർ, ബർഹിഷദ്, ആജ്യപ, സോമപ എന്നീ പിതൃഗണങ്ങൾ പ്രത്യേകമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടവരായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अक्षया: imperishable, inexhaustible
• अक्षया: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (सा)

• धर्मकृत्ये: in religious rites
• धर्मकृत्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + कृत्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः तत्पुरुषः

• सा: she/that (Amāvāsyā)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पितृकृत्ये: in ancestral rites
• पितृकृत्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ-कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; पितृ + कृत्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः तत्पुरुषः

• विशेषतः: particularly
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष-तस्)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (‘particularly’)

• अग्निष्वात्ताः: Agniṣvātta (a class of Pitṛs)
• अग्निष्वात्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि-स्वात्त (प्रातिपदिक; स्वात्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; पितृगण-विशेषः; समासः तत्पुरुषः

• बर्हिषदः: Barhiṣad (a class of Pitṛs)
• बर्हिषदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्हिषद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; पितृगण-विशेषः

• आज्यपाः: Ājyapā (ghee-drinking Pitṛs)
• आज्यपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्य-पा (प्रातिपदिक; आज्य + पा ‘पिबति’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘ghee-drinkers’)

• सोमपाः: Somapā (soma-drinking Pitṛs)
• सोमपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम-पा (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + पा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘soma-drinkers’)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अन्वयार्थे (‘also/and likewise’)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A new-moon riverside śrāddha: a householder facing south offers water with sesame; subtle, luminous pitṛ-forms (Agniṣvātta, Barhiṣad, Ājyapa, Somapa) receive the oblations; the sky is dark yet serene, with a thin halo around the unseen moon.

Characters & Entities

• Amāvasyā
• Pitṛ-kṛtya
• Agniṣvātta
• Barhiṣad
• Ājyapa
• Somapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Amāvasyā is taught as a uniquely inexhaustible occasion for dharma, with special efficacy for honoring the Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights sacred time (Amāvasyā) rather than a new location, within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Pitṛ-kṛtya/Śrāddha on Amāvasyā for akṣaya merit; it invokes specific Pitṛ classes connected with such rites.