Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

भगवन्निंदुक्षये श्राद्धं प्रोक्तं मासं त्वया विभो । अस्माकं प्रीणनार्थाय यत्करिष्यंति मानवाः

Transliteration

bhagavanniṃdukṣaye śrāddhaṃ proktaṃ māsaṃ tvayā vibho | asmākaṃ prīṇanārthāya yatkariṣyaṃti mānavāḥ

Translation

Wahai Tuhan, wahai Yang Maha Perkasa—tatkala bulan menyusut, Engkau telah menyatakan bahawa sepanjang sebulan itu layak untuk Śrāddha. Hal itu demi menyenangkan kami, agar manusia melakukan upacara yang menggembirakan para Pitṛ.

Word by Word

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

• indu-kṣaye: at the waning of the moon
• indu-kṣaye: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indu + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुषः (indos kṣaye), पुल्लिङ्गम्, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• proktam: declared, prescribed
• proktam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु) + prokta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (agreeing with śrāddham)

• māsam: (for) a month
• māsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्

• vibho: O mighty one
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• asmākam: of us
• asmākam: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम्

• prīṇana-arthāya: for (our) satisfaction
• prīṇana-arthāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīṇana + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुषः (prīṇanasya arthāya), पुल्लिङ्गम्, चतुर्थी (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचनम्

• yat: which (rite)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• kariṣyanti: they will do
• kariṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्

• mānavāḥ: humans
• mānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Pitṛs (ancestral beings), addressing Brahmā (implied by following verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (Vibhu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pitṛs address Brahmā with reverence, gesturing toward the moon’s waning arc in the sky, indicating the sacred month designated for śrāddha.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Brahmā
• Śrāddha
• Moon (candra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites are framed as a dharmic duty that directly brings contentment to the Pitṛs, especially when aligned with sacred lunar timing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse segment emphasizes time-based śrāddha (lunar waning) rather than naming a specific tīrtha in the excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A month associated with the waning moon is presented as suitable for śrāddha performed for Pitṛ-satisfaction.