Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

वनस्पतिगते सोमे या च्छाया पूर्वतोमुखी । गजच्छाया तु सा ज्ञेया पितॄणां दत्तमक्षयम्

Transliteration

vanaspatigate some yā cchāyā pūrvatomukhī | gajacchāyā tu sā jñeyā pitṝṇāṃ dattamakṣayam

Translation

เมื่อพระจันทร์อยู่ในวณสปติ และเงาหันหน้าไปทางทิศตะวันออก เงานั้นพึงรู้ว่าเป็น “คชฉายา” คือเงาช้าง; ทานที่ถวายแด่ปิตฤในกาลนั้นย่อมเป็นอักษยะ ไม่เสื่อมสูญ

Word by Word

• वनस्पतिगते: in/at the tree-located (moon)
• वनस्पतिगते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनस्पति (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (गम् धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः; ‘वनस्पतौ गतः’ इति; पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; ‘सोमे’ इति विशेषणम्

• सोमे: in Soma (the moon)
• सोमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• च्छाया: shadow
• च्छाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• पूर्वतः: from the east, eastward
• पूर्वतः: Desha-adhikarana (Direction/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; दिक्-निर्देशक (from the east/eastward)

• मुखी: facing (towards)
• मुखी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुखिन्/मुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘मुखी’ = ‘मुखं यस्याः/यस्य’ (facing) — अत्र ‘च्छाया’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गजच्छाया: elephant-shadow
• गजच्छाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासभावः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; ‘गजस्य छाया’/‘गज-रूपा छाया’

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे

• सा: that (shadow)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• ज्ञेया: is to be known/should be recognized
• ज्ञेया: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय; विधेय)
• Form: कर्तव्यता/विधेयार्थक कृदन्तः (gerundive); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘ज्ञातव्या’

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्

• दत्तम्: given, offered
• दत्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘अक्षयम्’ इति विशेषणम्/सहपदम्

• अक्षयम्: imperishable, inexhaustible (merit)
• अक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘दत्तम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Agniveśa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Moon is shown aligned with a ‘Vanaspati’ marker; an east-facing shadow stretches on the ground like an elephant; a family performs pitṛ offerings, and the offerings are depicted as multiplying or shining to signify imperishability.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)
• Vanaspati (astral designation)
• pitṛ
• gaja-chāyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain sacred times amplify dharma: offerings to pitṛs made at auspicious moments yield akṣaya (inexhaustible) fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies auspicious time rather than a named place, within a broader tīrtha-centric chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pitṛ offerings/śrāddha during the ‘gaja-chāyā’ condition (Moon in Vanaspati with east-facing chāyā) for akṣaya results.