Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

माघ्यां यदि गयाश्राद्धं पितॄणां यच्छते नरः । त्रयाणामपि देवानां चतुर्थः स प्रजायते

Transliteration

māghyāṃ yadi gayāśrāddhaṃ pitṝṇāṃ yacchate naraḥ | trayāṇāmapi devānāṃ caturthaḥ sa prajāyate

Translation

മാഘമാസത്തിൽ പിതൃകൾക്കായി ഗയാ-ശ്രാദ്ധം അർപ്പിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ, ദേവന്മാരുടെ മൂന്നു വർഗങ്ങളിൽ ‘നാലാമൻ’ എന്നപോലെ ദിവ്യപദം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• माघ्याम्: in (the time of) Māgha
• माघ्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमीविभक्तिः (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम् (कालवाचकः: माघी-तिथिः/माघ-मासे)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Avyaya (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्ययम् (if)

• गयाश्राद्धम्: the Gayā-śrāddha rite
• गयाश्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (गयायां श्राद्धम्/गया-सम्बन्धि श्राद्धम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठीविभक्तिः (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्

• यच्छते: offers/gives
• यच्छते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; ‘यच्छते’ = gives/bestows

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• त्रयाणाम्: of three
• त्रयाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठीविभक्तिः (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्ययम् (also/even)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठीविभक्तिः (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्

• चतुर्थः: a fourth (one)
• चतुर्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम् (क्रमवाचकः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• प्रजायते: is born/comes into being
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Prabhāsakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Māgha morning at Gayā: priests on riverbank guiding a householder offering piṇḍas and sesame-water tarpaṇa; ancestral figures receive offerings; above, a radiant celestial assembly hints at the performer’s elevation to divine rank.

Characters & Entities

• Māgha
• Gayā-śrāddha
• Pitṛs
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral service (śrāddha) performed at the right sacred time is portrayed as a direct cause of divine elevation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is invoked through the term ‘Gayā-śrāddha,’ indicating the famed ancestral rite associated with Gayā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing Gayā-śrāddha for the Pitṛs during the month of Māgha.