Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यथोक्तविधिना तीर्थे नागानां पंचमीदिने । श्रावणे मासि नो मुक्तः पिता तस्य तथापि सः

Transliteration

yathoktavidhinā tīrthe nāgānāṃ paṃcamīdine | śrāvaṇe māsi no muktaḥ pitā tasya tathāpi saḥ

Translation

ശ്രാവണ മാസത്തിലെ നാഗപഞ്ചമി ദിനത്തിൽ ഈ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ശാസ്ത്രോക്തവിധിപ്രകാരം ചെയ്തിട്ടും—അവന്റെ പിതാവ് എങ്കിലും മോചിതനായില്ല, ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ.

Word by Word

• yathoktavidhinā: by the prescribed procedure
• yathoktavidhinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yathokta (अव्ययीभाव-प्रातिपदिक) + vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (yathokta ‘as prescribed’ + vidhi ‘procedure’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन: ‘by the prescribed procedure’

• tīrthe: at the sacred ford/place
• tīrthe: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• nāgānām: of the Nāgas/serpents
• nāgānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• paṃcamīdine: on the fifth day (Pañcamī)
• paṃcamīdine: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃcamī (प्रातिपदिक) + dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (paṃcamyāḥ dinaṃ); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन: ‘on the fifth-day (tithi)’

• śrāvaṇe: in Śrāvaṇa (month)
• śrāvaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• māsi: in the month
• māsi: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• naḥ: our/of us
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th) बहुवचन (enclitic): ‘of us/our’

• muktaḥ: freed/released
• muktaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muc (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (pitā)

• pitā: father
• pitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• tathāpi: nevertheless
• tathāpi: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय (concessive): ‘even so/however’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Local devotees/hosts (continuing the narrative of a failed outcome)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Despite performing śrāddha at the tīrtha on Nāga Pañcamī in Śrāvaṇa, the rajarṣi remains distressed as his father’s preta-state persists; a mood of anxious compassion and unresolved ritual tension.

Characters & Entities

• Nāga Pañcamī
• Śrāvaṇa
• Tīrtha
• Pitṛ (father)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even correctly timed rites may be obstructed by specific karmic faults; Purāṇic dharma recognizes the need for targeted remedies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāga-associated tīrtha in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, linked with Nāga Pañcamī observance in Śrāvaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha performed at a tīrtha on Nāga Pañcamī in Śrāvaṇa, following yathokta-vidhi (the prescribed procedure).