Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अस्यां चेत्तु गजच्छाया तिथौ राजन्प्रजायते । तदाऽक्षयं मघायोगे श्राद्धं संजायते ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

asyāṃ cettu gajacchāyā tithau rājanprajāyate | tadā'kṣayaṃ maghāyoge śrāddhaṃ saṃjāyate dhruvam

Translation

Tâu Đại vương, nếu ngay trong tithi này xuất hiện “Gajacchāyā” (thế cục cát tường), thì khi hội với Maghā, lễ Śrāddha chắc chắn trở thành akṣaya—phước quả không hao mòn.

Word by Word

• asyām: in this (tithi)
• asyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक; इदम्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; अधिकरणे (in this tithi)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle: if)

• tu: then; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थ (but/indeed)

• gajacchāyā: (the) Gaja-chāyā (named shadow/phenomenon)
• gajacchāyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja-chāyā (प्रातिपदिक; गज + छाया)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय

• tithau: on the lunar day
• tithau: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• prajāyate: arises; is produced
• prajāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• akṣayam: inexhaustible
• akṣayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘śrāddham’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• maghāyoge: in the Maghā conjunction (yoga)
• maghāyoge: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maghā-yoga (प्रातिपदिक; मघा + योग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• śrāddham: śrāddha (rite)
• śrāddham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय

• saṃjāyate: comes into being; occurs
• saṃjāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) + sam- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• dhruvam: certainly; surely
• dhruvam: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverbial use)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage points to a pañcāṅga or celestial diagram, explaining the rare alignment: Trayodaśī with ‘Gajacchāyā’ and Maghā; above them, stylized constellations and a symbolic elephant-shadow motif indicating the configuration.

Characters & Entities

• Gajacchāyā
• Maghā
• Śrāddha
• Akṣaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma praises specific calendrical combinations as amplifiers of merit, especially for Pitṛ-related rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya setting, though it highlights time-auspiciousness rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha when Gajacchāyā occurs on the tithi, especially with Maghā conjunction, for ‘akṣaya’ fruit.