Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

प्रारभ्य कुतपे श्राद्धे कुर्यादारोहणं बुधः । विधिज्ञो विधिमास्थाय रोहिणं न तु लंघयेत्

Transliteration

prārabhya kutape śrāddhe kuryādārohaṇaṃ budhaḥ | vidhijño vidhimāsthāya rohiṇaṃ na tu laṃghayet

Translation

เมื่อเริ่มพิธีศราทธะในมุหูรตะกุตปะ (kutapa) แล้ว บัณฑิตพึงดำเนิน ‘อาโรหณะ (ārohaṇa)’ คือความก้าวหน้าตามลำดับแห่งพิธี ผู้รู้กฎเกณฑ์ยึดตามวิธีการแล้ว ไม่พึงล่วงเลยมุหูรตะ ‘เรา หิณะ (rauhiṇa)’

Word by Word

• prārabhya: having begun; starting
• prārabhya: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√rabh (रभ् धातु)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक-क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); 'प्र+रभ्'—(having begun/starting)

• kutape: in the kutapa (muhūrta/time)
• kutape: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kutapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th case locative); एकवचन

• śrāddhe: in/at the śrāddha rite
• śrāddhe: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष? (न); कर्तरि प्रयोगः; तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन

• ārohaṇam: the ascent/commencement (ārohaṇa)
• ārohaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārohaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• budhaḥ: a wise man
• budhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• vidhi-jñaḥ: knower of the rules
• vidhi-jñaḥ: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद-भावः: विधिं जानाति इति); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• vidhim: the prescribed rule
• vidhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• āsthāya: having followed; having undertaken
• āsthāya: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); 'आ+स्था'—(having adhered to/undertaken)

• rohiṇam: the rauhiṇa (muhūrta)
• rohiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rohiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (रौहिण-मुहूर्तः)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (Contrast/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• laṃghayet: should transgress/skip
• laṃghayet: Kriya (Prohibited action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √laṅgh (लङ्घ् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); तृतीयपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha scene at Prabhāsa: a priest and householder seated on kuśa grass, offering piṇḍa and tila-water; a sun-dial/pañcāṅga marks kutapa; the priest gestures ‘do not cross rauhiṇa’ as the rite progresses (ārohaṇa).

Characters & Entities

• Kutapa (muhūrta)
• Rauhiṇa (muhūrta)
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wisdom in dharma is practical: begin and complete sacred duties within the proper auspicious window.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Śrāddha is taught as a powerful rite when aligned with kutapa and rauhiṇa timings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Start Śrāddha in kutapa muhūrta and do not extend beyond rauhiṇa muhūrta.