Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

प्रेतपक्षे कृते श्राद्धे कन्यासंस्थे दिवाकरे । एकस्मिन्नहनि प्रायस्तृप्तिः स्याद्वर्षसंभवा

Transliteration

pretapakṣe kṛte śrāddhe kanyāsaṃsthe divākare | ekasminnahani prāyastṛptiḥ syādvarṣasaṃbhavā

Translation

เมื่อประกอบศราทธะในเปรตปักษ์ ขณะดวงอาทิตย์สถิตในราศีกันย์ ก็จะเกิดความอิ่มเอิบดุจได้ตลอดปี ภายในวันเดียว

Word by Word

• प्रेतपक्षे: in the fortnight of the departed (Pitṛpakṣa)
• प्रेतपक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pretānāṃ pakṣaḥ)

• कृते: when performed/done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from कृ (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• श्राद्धे: in/at the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कन्यासंस्थे: when (the sun) is in Kanyā (Virgo)
• कन्यासंस्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्या + संस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from सम्-स्था (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (kanyāyāṃ saṃsthaḥ = situated in Virgo)

• दिवाकरे: when the sun is (so placed)
• दिवाकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एकस्मिन्: in one
• एकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रायः: generally/for the most part
• प्रायः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायस् (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तृप्तिः: satisfaction
• तृप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वर्षसम्भवा: lasting for a year/annual
• वर्षसम्भवा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ष + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (varṣa-sambhavā = arising for a year / annual)

Speaker

Hiraṇyākṣa (statement within boon request context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pretapakṣa-śrāddha-kāla (Kanyā-ravi)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene śrāddha scene: performer offers piṇḍa and water (tarpaṇa) with kuśa grass; the Sun is symbolically shown in Kanyā-rāśi; pitṛs appear satisfied, luminous, receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Pretapakṣa
• Sūrya (Divākara)
• Kanyā (Virgo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper season and cosmic timing amplify the fruit of śrāddha, turning a single day’s rite into enduring benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the emphasis is on the sacred time-window (Pretapakṣa with Sun in Kanyā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha during Pretapakṣa when the Sun is in Kanyā (Virgo) for greatly increased ancestral satisfaction.