Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

मासांतेऽपर पक्षे तु क्षयाहे पितृमातृके । गजच्छायां त्रयोदश्यां द्रव्ये प्राप्तौ द्विजोत्तमः

Transliteration

māsāṃte'para pakṣe tu kṣayāhe pitṛmātṛke | gajacchāyāṃ trayodaśyāṃ dravye prāptau dvijottamaḥ

Translation

മാസാന്ത്യത്തിൽ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിൽ—ക്ഷയാഹ പിതൃ‑മാതൃക തിഥിയിൽ—ഗജച്ഛായയിൽ ത്രയോദശിദിനം ആ ദ്വിജോത്തമന് ധനപ്രാപ്തി ഉണ്ടായി।

Word by Word

• मासान्ते: at the end of the month
• मासान्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मासस्य अन्तः)

• अपरपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• अपरपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; समासः—कर्मधारय (अपरः पक्षः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• क्षयाहे: on the day of (lunar) waning/decay
• क्षयाहे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्षयस्य अहः)

• पितृमातृके: pertaining to fathers and mothers (ancestral)
• पितृमातृके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ + मातृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; समासः—द्वन्द्व (पितरश्च मातरश्च) + क-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (अहः)

• गजच्छायाम्: at/under the elephant’s shadow (a named time/measure)
• गजच्छायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गजस्य छाया)

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth lunar day
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• द्रव्ये: in/with respect to wealth/materials
• द्रव्ये: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• प्राप्तौ: upon obtaining/when obtained
• प्राप्तौ: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• द्विजोत्तमः: the best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (द्विजेषु उत्तमः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gajacchāyā

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (addressed as ‘rājan’ in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa at a shaded sacred spot called ‘Gajacchāyā’ on kṛṣṇa trayodaśī near month-end; attendants present a pouch/plate of wealth as a providential gain; ritual items nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Gajacchāyā
• Pitṛs
• Mātṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly timed ancestral observances at a sanctified site are said to yield tangible and intangible blessings, including prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gajacchāyā, presented as a merit-giving location within the Prabhāsa sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance connected to pitṛ-mātṛ rites on the dark fortnight’s trayodaśī, especially when a kṣaya (waning/overlap) condition occurs.