Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं प्रशस्तं विप्रेंद्राः संप्राप्ते चंद्रसंक्षये । सूर्यग्रहे विशेषेण कुरुक्षेत्रफलं स्मृतम् । श्राद्धे स्नाने तथा दाने पितॄणां तर्पणे तथा

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ praśastaṃ vipreṃdrāḥ saṃprāpte caṃdrasaṃkṣaye | sūryagrahe viśeṣeṇa kurukṣetraphalaṃ smṛtam | śrāddhe snāne tathā dāne pitṝṇāṃ tarpaṇe tathā

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രന്മാരേ! ചന്ദ്രക്ഷയം വന്നപ്പോൾ ശ്രാദ്ധം അത്യന്തം പ്രശസ്തമാണ്. പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് സൂര്യഗ്രഹണത്തിൽ അത് കുരുക്ഷേത്രയാത്രാഫലം നൽകുന്നതായി സ്മൃതിയിൽ പറയുന്നു—ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ, സ്നാനത്തിൽ, ദാനത്തിൽ, പിതൃതർപ്പണത്തിലും.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रशस्तम्: excellent, commendable
• प्रशस्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रशस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘श्राद्धम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O lords among Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे; कर्मधारयः (विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it has) occurred/arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘(काले) संप्राप्ते’ = ‘when (it has) arrived’

• चन्द्रसंक्षये: at the lunar eclipse
• चन्द्रसंक्षये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चन्द्रस्य संक्षयः)

• सूर्यग्रहे: at the solar eclipse
• सूर्यग्रहे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यस्य ग्रहः)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन (adverbial instrumental): ‘especially’

• कुरुक्षेत्रफलम्: the merit equivalent to (that of) Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुरुक्षेत्रस्य फलम्)

• स्मृतम्: is said/declared
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्—‘is declared’

• श्राद्धे: in śrāddha
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्नाने: in bathing
• स्नाने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक (connector)

• दाने: in giving (charity)
• दाने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पितॄणाम्: of/for the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• तर्पणे: in the act of satiating (offerings)
• तर्पणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पुनः समुच्चयार्थकः

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (viprendra/dvijendra addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a coastal tirtha during eclipse-time: brāhmaṇas seated for śrāddha, offerings of water (tarpana) with kuśa, lamps and vessels, the sun partially veiled, conch-sounds near a Viṣṇu shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Candra-saṃkṣaya (lunar waning/new moon)
• Sūrya-grahaṇa (solar eclipse)
• Kurukṣetra
• Pitṛs
• Tarpaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred timing (kāla) amplifies dharmic acts—śrāddha, snāna, dāna, and tarpaṇa—multiplying their merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra is invoked as a benchmark of merit; the chapter context remains Dvārakā/Cakratīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha—along with bathing, charity, and Pitṛ-tarpaṇa—especially at lunar waning/new-moon times and particularly during a solar eclipse.