Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

विवाहादौ स्मृतः सौरो यज्ञादौ सावनः स्मृतः । आब्दिके पितृकार्ये तु चान्द्रो मासः प्रशस्यते

Transliteration

vivāhādau smṛtaḥ sauro yajñādau sāvanaḥ smṛtaḥ | ābdike pitṛkārye tu cāndro māsaḥ praśasyate

Translation

വിവാഹാദി കർമ്മങ്ങൾക്ക് സൗരഗണനയും, യജ്ഞാദി കർമ്മങ്ങൾക്ക് സാവനഗണനയും സ്മൃതിയിൽ പറയുന്നു. എന്നാൽ പിതൃകളുടെ ആാബ്ദിക കർമ്മത്തിന് ചാന്ദ്രമാസം ശ്രേഷ്ഠമെന്നു പ്രശംസിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• विवाहादौ: in marriage etc.
• विवाहादौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; ‘आदि’-शब्देन सह (विवाह-आदि-कार्येषु)

• स्मृतः: is prescribed/mentioned
• स्मृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle) पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘is remembered/considered’ (प्रयोगे विधिवचनम्)

• सौरः: solar (month/measure)
• सौरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (मासः/कालः इति लुप्तम्)

• यज्ञादौ: in sacrifice etc.
• यज्ञादौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘आदि’-शब्देन सह (यज्ञ-आदि-कार्येषु)

• सावनः: sāvana (based on civil day)
• सावनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (मासः/कालः इति लुप्तम्)

• स्मृतः: is remembered/mentioned
• स्मृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः, पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आब्दिके: in the annual (rite)
• आब्दिके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आब्दिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः/पुंलिङ्गः (प्रयोगे), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पितृकार्ये: in ancestral rites
• पितृकार्ये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां कार्यम्)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (particle)

• चान्द्रः: lunar
• चान्द्रः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चान्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (मासः)

• मासः: month
• मासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रशस्यते: is recommended
• प्रशस्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive): ‘is praised/recommended’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau: three panels or a single scene with symbolic markers—wedding rites under a sun emblem (saura), a yajña with counted days (sāvana), and a śrāddha under a crescent moon (cāndra).

Characters & Entities

• Vivāha
• Yajña
• Pitṛ-kārya
• Cāndra māsa
• Saura
• Sāvana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Different sacred duties follow different time-reckonings; dharma harmonizes human rites with cosmic rhythms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is delivered within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, linking correct ritual time to the sanctity of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use solar time for marriage-type rites, sāvana counting for yajñas, and lunar months for annual ancestor rites.