Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

प्रेतपक्षस्य दर्शायां यस्तस्यां श्राद्धमाचरेत् । कालशाकेन विप्रेंद्रास्तथारण्योद्भवैस्तिलैः

Transliteration

pretapakṣasya darśāyāṃ yastasyāṃ śrāddhamācaret | kālaśākena vipreṃdrāstathāraṇyodbhavaistilaiḥ

Translation

โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ ผู้ใดประกอบพิธีศราทธะ ณ ที่นั้น ในวันทัรศา (วันเดือนดับ) แห่งเปรตปักษะ โดยใช้ผักกาลศากะ (kālaśāka) และงาดำที่งอกในป่า—

Word by Word

• प्रेतपक्षस्य: of the fortnight of the departed (Pitṛpakṣa)
• प्रेतपक्षस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतानां पक्षः)

• दर्शायाम्: on the new-moon day (darśā)
• दर्शायाम्: अधिकरण (Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: whoever
• यः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तस्याम्: in that (well/place)
• तस्याम्: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कालशाकेन: with kāla-śāka (a kind of herb)
• कालशाकेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालशाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कालं शाकम्/काला-शाकः)

• विप्रेंद्राः: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेंद्राः: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः)

• तथा: also
• तथा: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also/likewise’

• अरण्योद्भवैः: arisen in the forest, wild
• अरण्योद्भवैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (उद्-भू-धातु, क्त/अच्; ‘arisen’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अरण्यात् उद्भवाः)

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration/instructional praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛtaghna-preta-tīrtha (kūpikā)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Instructional tableau: brahmins and the patron prepare śrāddha on amāvāsyā of Pitṛpakṣa, arranging kālaśāka and dark sesame gathered from the forest beside the sacred well.

Characters & Entities

• Pretapakṣa
• Darśā (new moon)
• Śrāddha
• Kālaśāka
• Forest-born tila (āraṇyodbhava tila)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timing and place amplify dharma—performing śrāddha at the right tīrtha on the right lunar day is praised as especially fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The renowned kūpikā tīrtha at the plakṣa-tree location, famed for pitṛ-benefit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha there on darśā (amāvasyā) during pretapakṣa, using kālaśāka and forest-grown sesame.