Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

आनर्त उवाच । त्रयोदश्यां कृते श्राद्धे कस्माद्वंशक्षयो भवेत् । एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व विस्तरात्त्वं महा मुने । भर्तृयज्ञ उवाच । एषा मेध्यतमा राजन्युगादिः कलिसंभवा । स्नाने दाने जपे होमे श्राद्धे ज्ञेया तथाऽक्षया

Transliteration

ānarta uvāca | trayodaśyāṃ kṛte śrāddhe kasmādvaṃśakṣayo bhavet | etanme sarvamācakṣva vistarāttvaṃ mahā mune | bhartṛyajña uvāca | eṣā medhyatamā rājanyugādiḥ kalisaṃbhavā | snāne dāne jape home śrāddhe jñeyā tathā'kṣayā

Translation

ରାଜା ଆନର୍ତ୍ତ କହିଲେ—ତ୍ରୟୋଦଶୀରେ କୃତ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧରୁ ବଂଶକ୍ଷୟ କାହିଁକି ହୁଏ? ହେ ମହାମୁନି, ଏ ସବୁ ମୋତେ ବିସ୍ତାରେ କହନ୍ତୁ। ଭର୍ତୃୟଜ୍ଞ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜନ, ଏହି ତିଥି ସର୍ବାଧିକ ପବିତ୍ର, କଳିଯୁଗରେ ଯୁଗାରମ୍ଭକାରିଣୀ; ସ୍ନାନ, ଦାନ, ଜପ, ହୋମ ଓ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧରେ ଏହାକୁ ‘ଅକ୍ଷୟା’ ଭାବେ ଜାଣ—ଅକ୍ଷୟ ଫଳଦାୟିନୀ।

Word by Word

• ānartaḥ: Ānarta
• ānartaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānarta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• trayodaśyām: on Trayodaśī (13th tithi)
• trayodaśyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayodaśī (प्रातिपदिक; ordinal tithi-name)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (on the 13th lunar day)

• kṛte: when (it is) done/performed
• kṛte: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘श्राद्धे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (when performed)

• śrāddhe: in the śrāddha rite
• śrāddhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• kasmāt: from what (cause)
• kasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक; interrogative)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थ (ablative: from what cause)

• vaṃśakṣayaḥ: destruction of lineage
• vaṃśakṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṃśa-kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक; वंश + क्षय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject)

• bhavet: would occur; may happen
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक; demonstrative)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• me: to me; for me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक; अस्मद्)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (dative)

• sarvam: all (of it)
• sarvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘etat’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ācakṣva: tell; explain
• ācakṣva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; उपदेश/आज्ञा

• vistarāt: in detail; elaborately
• vistarāt: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (ablative of manner: in detail)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक; युष्मद्)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mahā: great
• mahā: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; ‘mune’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• bhartṛyajñaḥ: Bhartṛyajña
• bhartṛyajñaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ-yajña (प्रातिपदिक; भर्तृ + यज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• eṣā: this (tithi/observance)
• eṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक; demonstrative)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विषय (subject)

• medhyatamā: most purifying
• medhyatamā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: medhya-tama (प्रातिपदिक; मेध्य + तम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अतिशय-विशेषण (superlative)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• yugādiḥ: (called) Yugādi
• yugādiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga-ādi (प्रातिपदिक; युग + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम/विषय

• kalisaṃbhavā: arising in the Kali (age)
• kalisaṃbhavā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kali-saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक; कलि + सम्भव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘eṣā’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• snāne: in bathing
• snāne: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• dāne: in giving (charity)
• dāne: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• jape: in mantra-recitation
• jape: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• home: in fire-offering
• home: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• śrāddhe: in śrāddha
• śrāddhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• jñeyā: is to be known (as)
• jñeyā: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/य-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive potential participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be known)

• tathā: thus; likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/समुच्चयार्थ (so; likewise)

• akṣayā: imperishable; inexhaustible
• akṣayā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘eṣā’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Dialogue: King Ānarta; Sage Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king (Ānarta) respectfully questions a seated sage (Bhartṛyajña) about Trayodaśī-śrāddha; ritual items—kuśa grass, water-pot, sesame, fire-altar—suggest snāna/dāna/japa/homa/śrāddha as a unified dharma-day.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta
• Bhartṛyajña
• Trayodaśī
• Kali-yuga
• Snāna
• Dāna
• Japa
• Homa
• Śrāddha
• Akṣayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual timing in the lunar calendar matters in Purāṇic dharma, and certain tithis are praised as ‘akṣaya’—yielding lasting merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya framework, though the verse focuses on tithi-glory rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trayodaśī is identified as highly purifying and ‘akṣayā’ for snāna, dāna, japa, homa, and Śrāddha.