Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

षष्ठ्यां तिथौ नरो भक्त्या श्राद्धं कुर्यान्महालयम् । तस्य प्रीणाति भगवान्षण्मुखः पार्वती सुतः

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhyāṃ tithau naro bhaktyā śrāddhaṃ kuryānmahālayam | tasya prīṇāti bhagavānṣaṇmukhaḥ pārvatī sutaḥ

Translation

ในวันติติที่หก (ษัษฐี) หากบุรุษประกอบมหาลยะศราทธะด้วยศรัทธา พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ษัณมุขะ โอรสแห่งพระแม่ปารวตี ย่อมทรงพอพระทัยต่อเขา

Word by Word

• षष्ठ्याम्: on the sixth (lunar day)
• षष्ठ्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तिथौ: on the tithi (lunar day)
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महालयम्: Mahālaya (ancestral period/rite)
• महालयम्: Karma (Object-apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; श्राद्धस्य विशेषण-रूपेण (महालय-श्राद्धम्)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• प्रीणाति: is pleased (with)
• प्रीणाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्री (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• षण्मुखः: Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced)
• षण्मुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक; षट् + मुख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘षण्णां मुखानां युक्तः’

• पार्वती: of Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पार्वती-सुतः’ इति सम्बन्ध

Speaker

Deductive: Skanda (Kārttikeya) speaking within Setukhaṇḍa narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra Mahālaya-śrāddha (Ṣaṣṭhī-viśeṣa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs Mahālaya śrāddha on Ṣaṣṭhī at a coastal altar; above, Ṣaṇmukha appears with six faces and twelve arms (iconographically flexible), spear (vel), peacock mount, blessing the performer while pitṛs receive offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha)
• Pārvatī
• Mahālaya Śrāddha
• Ṣaṣṭhī tithi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time-honored ancestral rites, performed with devotion on the proper tithi, become acts of bhakti that please the deity and uphold pitṛ-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in Setukhaṇḍa (Setu Māhātmya), connected with the sacred Setu region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Mahālaya śrāddha on Ṣaṣṭhī tithi with devotion.