Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

लोहयष्ट्यां कृते श्राद्धे नभस्ये चंद्रसंक्षये । प्रेतयोनिविनिर्मुक्ताः क्रीडंति पितरो दिवि

Transliteration

lohayaṣṭyāṃ kṛte śrāddhe nabhasye caṃdrasaṃkṣaye | pretayonivinirmuktāḥ krīḍaṃti pitaro divi

Translation

نَبھس (بھاد्रپد) کے مہینے میں چاند کے گھٹنے کے وقت لوہ یشٹکا میں جب شرادھ کیا جاتا ہے تو پِتر، پریت یونی کی حالت سے آزاد ہو کر، سُوَرگ میں مسرت سے کِھیلتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• lohayaṣṭyām: at/on the iron staff (place called Lohayaṣṭī)
• lohayaṣṭyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loha (प्रातिपदिक) + yaṣṭī/yaṣṭikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (लोहयाṣṭī)

• kṛte: performed
• kṛte: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘श्राद्धे’ इति पदस्य विशेषण (done/performed)

• śrāddhe: in the śrāddha rite
• śrāddhe: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• nabhasye: in Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)
• nabhasye: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nabhasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मासवाचक

• caṃdrasaṃkṣaye: at the moon’s waning/end
• caṃdrasaṃkṣaye: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃdra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (चन्द्रस्य संक्षये)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• pretayoni-vinirmuktāḥ: freed from the preta-state
• pretayoni-vinirmuktāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + yoni (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-nis-√muc (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रेतयोन्या विनिर्मुक्ताः = freed from the state/womb of preta)

• krīḍanti: play/sport
• krīḍanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• pitaraḥ: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• pitaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• divi: in heaven
• divi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lohayaṣṭikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night of the dark fortnight by a small shrine; a family performs śrāddha with piṇḍas and water offerings; above, luminous ancestors rise from shadowy preta forms into radiant pitṛs, then appear playing in svarga gardens.

Characters & Entities

• Lohayaṣṭikā
• Nabhas (Bhādrapada)
• Pitṛs
• Preta-yoni
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly timed and located śrāddha is depicted as directly benefiting ancestors, transforming their condition and granting heavenly well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lohayaṣṭikā, a sacred site in the Dharmāraṇya landscape associated with powerful pitṛ rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at Lohayaṣṭikā in Nabhas (Bhādrapada) during candra-saṃkṣaya (waning of the moon).