Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26
पितामहाद्यास्तत्राह्नि श्राद्धं नार्हंति कुत्रचित् । अथ चेद्भ्रांतितो दद्याद्धियते राक्षसैस्तु तत्
pitāmahādyāstatrāhni śrāddhaṃ nārhaṃti kutracit | atha cedbhrāṃtito dadyāddhiyate rākṣasaistu tat
ఆ రోజున పితామహాది పితృదేవతలు ఎక్కడా శ్రాద్ధం పొందుటకు అర్హులు కారు. ఎవడైనా భ్రాంతితో ఇచ్చినచో, అది రాక్షసులచే హరించబడుతుంది।
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher addressing a king)
Scene: A cautionary allegory: a family attempts to offer śrāddha to ancestors on the wrong day; shadowy rākṣasas seize the offerings, while a priest warns them—contrasting light (proper rite) and darkness (confusion).
FAQs
Ritual correctness safeguards merit: misdirected offerings do not reach the intended ancestors and can become spiritually fruitless.
The verse is primarily a śrāddha-vidhi warning; it does not name a particular tīrtha in this line.
It forbids offering śrāddha to pitāmaha and other ancestors on that day; if done mistakenly, the offering is said to be appropriated by rākṣasas.
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