Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

नक्तं तु वर्जयेच्छ्राद्धं राहोरन्यत्र दर्शनात् । सर्वस्वेनापि कर्तव्यं क्षिप्रं वै राहुदर्शनात्

Transliteration

naktaṃ tu varjayecchrāddhaṃ rāhoranyatra darśanāt | sarvasvenāpi kartavyaṃ kṣipraṃ vai rāhudarśanāt

Translation

夜间之施祖祭（śrāddha）当避之，唯见罗睺（食，日月蚀）之时例外。罗睺现前，应即刻行礼，纵倾尽所有资具亦当为之；因彼一见，催促速行圣业。

Word by Word

• naktam: at night
• naktam: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण; ‘रात्रौ’)

• tu: but, however
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अन्वय particle)

• varjayet: should avoid
• varjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛj (वृज् धातु; ‘वर्जयति’)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• rāhoḥ: of Rāhu
• rāhoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• anyatra: elsewhere, except
• anyatra: Kriya-visheshana (Exception/अपवाद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देश/अपवादवाचक; ‘अन्यस्मिन् स्थाने/विना’)

• darśanāt: from/because of (the) sighting
• darśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (abl. sg.)

• sarvasvena: with one’s entire wealth
• sarvasvena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvasva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• api: even
• api: Kriya-visheshana (Emphasis/अपि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि-कारक particle)

• kartavyam: must be done
• kartavyam: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) + तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (कृत्य)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-भाव (gerundive; ‘to be done’)

• kṣipram: quickly
• kṣipram: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṣipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण; ‘शीघ्रम्’)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Kriya-visheshana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक particle)

• rāhu-darśanāt: because of seeing Rāhu (eclipse)
• rāhu-darśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāhu (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘राहोः दर्शनम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (abl. sg.)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night eclipse over the Prabhāsa coast; devotees quickly arrange śrāddha items under dim light, offering tarpaṇa while the eclipsed orb hangs in the sky, conveying urgency and sacred awe.

Characters & Entities

• Rāhu
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary celestial moments like an eclipse intensify ritual potency, so one should act promptly in pitṛ-dharma rather than delay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), presented as a powerful setting for śrāddha and dharmic observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid night-time śrāddha generally, but during Rāhu-darśana (eclipse) perform śrāddha immediately, even with maximal capacity.