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Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

श्राद्धमिदुक्षयेऽवश्यं सदा कार्यं विपश्चिता । यदि ज्येष्ठतमः सर्गः सन्तानं च तथा नृप

śrāddhamidukṣaye'vaśyaṃ sadā kāryaṃ vipaścitā | yadi jyeṣṭhatamaḥ sargaḥ santānaṃ ca tathā nṛpa

Pada saat bulan menyusut (hari bulan baharu), orang bijaksana wajib sentiasa melaksanakan śrāddha. Wahai raja, inilah ketetapan yang paling utama bagi keturunan dan zuriat juga.

श्राद्धम्śrāddha rite
श्राद्धम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootश्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन
इन्दुक्षयेat the waning of the moon
इन्दुक्षये:
Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootइन्दु + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इन्दोः क्षये)
अवश्यम्necessarily
अवश्यम्:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअवश्यम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय; निश्चयार्थ (adverb: necessarily)
सदाalways
सदा:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: always)
कार्यम्to be performed
कार्यम्:
Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object predicate/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be done)
विपश्चिताby the wise man
विपश्चिता:
Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootविपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; (विपश्चिता = विपश्चिता [instrumental])
यदिif
यदि:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle: if)
ज्येष्ठतमःthe eldest/most senior
ज्येष्ठतमः:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootज्येष्ठतम (प्रातिपदिक; तमप्-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्गः)
सर्गःcreation/lineage; (here) the eldest branch/person
सर्गः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
सन्तानम्offspring, progeny
सन्तानम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसन्तान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन
and
:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)
तथाlikewise
तथा:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थ (likewise)
नृपO king
नृप:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootनृप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Unspecified (narrative voice addressing a king within the Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Type: ghat

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Scene: A lunar disk fading into darkness above a riverbank; a householder with kuśa ring offers water (añjali) toward the south; family members stand respectfully; the sage’s injunction echoes as a caption-like presence.

P
Pitaras (ancestors)
I
Indu (Moon)
N
Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

The new-moon time is especially fit for honoring ancestors; wise householders should not neglect Śrāddha, as it supports dharma and the continuity of the family line.

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, emphasizing the sacred context of performing pitṛ-rites at holy places, though this particular line highlights the timing (amāvāsyā) more than naming a single tirtha.

Perform Śrāddha specifically at indukṣaya (the Moon’s waning/new moon), presented as an obligatory ancestral duty for the wise.