Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन श्राद्धं तत्र समाचरेत् । काले वा । यदि वाऽकाले पितॄणां तुष्टये सदा

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena śrāddhaṃ tatra samācaret | kāle vā | yadi vā'kāle pitṝṇāṃ tuṣṭaye sadā

Translation

ଏହେତୁ ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରୟତ୍ନରେ ସେଠାରେ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧ କରିବା ଉଚିତ—କାଳରେ ହେଉ କି ଅକାଳରେ ମଧ୍ୟ—କାରଣ ଏହାଦ୍ୱାରା ପିତୃମାନେ ସଦା ତୁଷ୍ଟ ହୁଅନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगानुसार), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with every effort; with full exertion
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वप्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व+प्रयत्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधनवाचक

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (ancestral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• समाचरेत्: should perform; should practice
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• काले: at the proper time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समयवाचक

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle 'or')

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तबोधक (conditional 'if')

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• अकाले: at an improper time; out of season
• अकाले: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाल (प्रातिपदिक; अ+काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'अनुचितसमये'

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (Pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तुष्टये: for satisfaction; for pleasing
• तुष्टये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb 'always')

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Tīrthamāhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pitṛkūpikā (implied)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim or householder performing śrāddha near a sacred well—darbha grass, piṇḍa offerings, water libations—while unseen Pitṛs receive and are appeased, suggesting timeless acceptance beyond calendrical limits.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a powerful tīrtha, sincere ancestral worship (śrāddha) bears fruit even beyond strict calendrical constraints, because the aim is pitṛ-tṛpti (satisfaction of the ancestors).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to “that place” (tatra) within the ongoing Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative, i.e., the currently described tīrtha celebrated for pitṛ-related rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at the tīrtha—ideally in the proper time (kāla), but it is also commended even if done at an unusual time (akāla) for pitṛ-satisfaction.