Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

दशम्यां तु तिथौ मर्त्यः श्राद्धं कुर्यान्महालयम् । तस्यामृतकलश्चन्द्रः षोडशात्मा प्रसीदति

Transliteration

daśamyāṃ tu tithau martyaḥ śrāddhaṃ kuryānmahālayam | tasyāmṛtakalaścandraḥ ṣoḍaśātmā prasīdati

Translation

ในวันทศมี (ตithi ที่สิบ) มนุษย์พึงประกอบมหาลยะศราทธะ; แล้วพระจันทร์ ผู้เป็นภาชนะอมฤตและทรงสิบหกกลา ย่อมโปรดปราน

Word by Word

• दशम्याम्: on the tenth (tithi)
• दशम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

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

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

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

• महालयम्: Mahālaya (observance)
• महालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; श्राद्धस्य विशेषणवत्

• तस्याम्: on that (day)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथि-निर्देशे (in that [tithi])

• अमृतकलश्चन्द्रः: the moon, (like) a pot of nectar
• अमृतकलश्चन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत + कलश + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अमृतकलशः इव चन्द्रः) / बहुपद-समास-प्रयोग

• षोडशात्मा: having sixteen aspects/phases
• षोडशात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षोडश आत्मानः यस्य सः) विशेषण (चन्द्रस्य)

• प्रसीदति: is pleased, becomes gracious
• प्रसीदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; अकर्मक

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at Setu coast: a śrāddha rite completed on Daśamī; the full, nectar-bearing Moon rises with a sixteen-petaled aura; the devotee and priests stand by a lit lamp and offerings, bathed in cool moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālaya
• Śrāddha
• Candra (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual harmony with sacred time (tithi) aligns the practitioner with cosmic beneficence, symbolized by Candra’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra (Setu Māhātmya) is the narrative setting, emphasizing the sanctity of performing śrāddha in this pilgrimage frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Mahālaya śrāddha specifically on Daśamī (the tenth tithi).