Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

ज्यैष्ठ्यां ज्येष्ठर्क्षयुक्तायां श्राद्धं च त्रितकूपके । कुर्युर्युगानि ते त्रीणि वसंति नाकसद्मनि

Transliteration

jyaiṣṭhyāṃ jyeṣṭharkṣayuktāyāṃ śrāddhaṃ ca tritakūpake | kuryuryugāni te trīṇi vasaṃti nākasadmani

Translation

ജ്യൈഷ്ഠമാസത്തിൽ ജ്യേഷ്ഠാ നക്ഷത്രയോഗമുള്ളപ്പോൾ, ത്രിതകൂപകത്തിൽ ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്യുന്നവർ മൂന്നു യുഗങ്ങൾ സ്വർഗ്ഗധാമത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ज्यैष्ठ्याम्: in (the month of) Jyaiṣṭha
• ज्यैष्ठ्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्यैष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्येष्ठर्क्षयुक्तायाम्: when joined with the Jyeṣṭhā constellation
• ज्येष्ठर्क्षयुक्तायाम्: Adhikarana (Time qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ज्येष्ठ-ऋक्षेण युक्ता) — ‘endowed with the Jyeṣṭhā nakṣatra’ (qualifies ज्यैष्ठ्याम्)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: ‘and’)

• त्रितकूपके: at Tritakūpaka (place)
• त्रितकूपके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रित (प्रातिपदिक) + कूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (त्रितस्य कूपकः/कूपः) — स्थाननाम (place-name)

• कुर्युः: should perform
• कुर्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• युगानि: yugas (ages)
• युगानि: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (qualifies युगानि)

• वसन्ति: dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• नाकसद्मनि: in the heavenly mansion
• नाकसद्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक (प्रातिपदिक) + सद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नाकस्य सद्म) — ‘heavenly abode’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Prabhāsakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tritakūpaka

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone well with three prominent spouts/steps (suggesting ‘trita’), priests and householder offering piṇḍa and tilodaka, with a night-sky band showing the Jyeṣṭhā constellation above; celestial palace imagery faintly in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Jyaiṣṭha
• Jyeṣṭhā Nakṣatra
• Tritakūpaka
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma links precise sacred timing (nakṣatra + month) with amplified results of śrāddha at a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tritakūpaka is praised as the site where śrāddha yields immense heavenly reward.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing śrāddha at Tritakūpaka during Jyaiṣṭha when Jyeṣṭhā nakṣatra is present.