Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

पितॄणां वांछता तृप्तिं कालेष्वेतेषु यत्नतः । गयायां च विशेषेण लोकद्वयमभीप्सता

Transliteration

pitṝṇāṃ vāṃchatā tṛptiṃ kāleṣveteṣu yatnataḥ | gayāyāṃ ca viśeṣeṇa lokadvayamabhīpsatā

Translation

Sesiapa yang menginginkan kepuasan para Pitṛ hendaklah dengan bersungguh-sungguh melaksanakan upacara pada waktu-waktu yang tepat ini—terutama di Gayā—jika ia mendambakan kesejahteraan di kedua-dua alam (dunia ini dan akhirat).

Word by Word

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• vāṃchatā: by one desiring
• vāṃchatā: Viśeṣaṇa (of implied agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vāñch (धातु) → vāṃchat (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकाले: ‘desiring’

• tṛptim: satisfaction
• tṛptim: Karma (object of vāṃchatā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kāleṣu: at the times
• kāleṣu: Adhikarana (time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• eteṣu: these
• eteṣu: Viśeṣaṇa (of kāleṣu)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• yatnataḥ: diligently
• yatnataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘with effort/diligently’

• gayāyām: in Gayā
• gayāyām: Adhikarana (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन रूपेण अव्ययीभाव (instrumental adverb): ‘especially/in particular’

• loka-dvayam: the two worlds
• loka-dvayam: Karma (object of abhīpsatā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘लोकयोः द्वयम्’ (the two worlds)

• abhīpsatā: by one seeking
• abhīpsatā: Viśeṣaṇa (of implied agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-√īps (धातु) → abhīpsat (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकाले: ‘wishing/desiring’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at Gayā performing piṇḍa-dāna on a riverbank with priests guiding; ancestral figures receive offerings; the sense of ‘both worlds’ shown by earthly crowd and celestial ascent path.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Gayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly timed Śrāddha, and especially Gayā-śrāddha, is praised as a powerful means to fulfill duty to ancestors and secure well-being in both worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is explicitly highlighted as a particularly potent place for ancestral rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha with diligence at the prescribed times, with special emphasis on performing it at Gayā.