Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

वर्षेवर्षे तु यच्छ्राद्धं मातापित्रोर्मृतेऽहनि । मलमासे न कर्तव्यं व्यासस्य वचनं यथा

Transliteration

varṣevarṣe tu yacchrāddhaṃ mātāpitrormṛte'hani | malamāse na kartavyaṃ vyāsasya vacanaṃ yathā

Translation

ศราทธะประจำปีที่ทำในวันครบรอบมรณกาลของมารดาหรือบิดา ไม่พึงประกอบในมลมาส (เดือนแทรก) ตามวจนะของพระวยาสะ

Word by Word

• वर्षे: in a year
• वर्षे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• वर्षे: (again) in a year
• वर्षे: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्तिः (वर्षे वर्षे = every year)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (particle: contrast/emphasis)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-विशेषणम् (relative)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha (annual rite)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मातापित्रोः: of mother and father
• मातापित्रोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माता + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री-समाहारः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), द्विवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (माता च पिताच)

• मृते: upon (their) death
• मृते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘when (they are) dead’

• अहनि: on the day
• अहनि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• मलमासे: in the intercalary/impure month (malamāsa)
• मलमासे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (मलः मासः)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम्

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi/Pratiṣedha (विधि/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘to be done’

• व्यासस्य: of Vyāsa
• व्यासस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• वचनम्: statement, word
• वचनम्: Pramāṇa/Hetu (प्रमाण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Upamā/Anusāra (उपमा/अनुसार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (comparative particle: ‘as/according to’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim family at Prabhāsa performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa beside the sea/river-mouth, while a learned brāhmaṇa points to a pañcāṅga indicating malamāsa; the rite is respectfully deferred to the proper month in obedience to Vyāsa’s word.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Malamāsa
• Śrāddha
• Mātā
• Pitā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ancestral devotion follows cosmic order; scripture sets calendar boundaries so rites align with sacred time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya’s dharma teaching; it does not single out a separate tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not perform the yearly death-anniversary śrāddha for parents during malamāsa; follow Vyāsa’s injunction.