Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं च कार्यं विधिवत्पितृभ्यो नृपसत्तम । एवं कृते नृपश्रेष्ठ सर्वपापक्षयो भवेत्

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ ca kāryaṃ vidhivatpitṛbhyo nṛpasattama | evaṃ kṛte nṛpaśreṣṭha sarvapāpakṣayo bhavet

Translation

ويجب أن يُؤدَّى طقسُ الشرادها (śrāddha) على الوجه الشرعي للآباء الأسلاف (Pitṛs)، يا خيرَ الملوك. فإذا فُعِل ذلك، أيها الحاكمُ الأسمى، تحقّق فناءُ جميعِ الذنوب.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: Śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म/विषय-रूपेण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• कार्यम्: to be done, obligatory
• कार्यम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय) → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित) → विधिवत् (अव्ययवत् प्रयोग)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पितृभ्यः: to the ancestors
• पितृभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case), बहुवचन; सम्प्रदान (recipient)

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; सम्बोधनपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• कृते: when (this) is done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Locative circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्प्रत्यय) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले; लोके ‘कृते’ = ‘when it is done’ (locative absolute sense)

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best king
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; सम्बोधनपद

• सर्वपापक्षयः: destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय

• भवेत्: would occur / should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (teacher/narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpasattama/nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king stands respectfully as a sage instructs him; on a riverbank altar, darbha, piṇḍa offerings, and water-libations are offered to the Pitṛs; the atmosphere is solemn and purificatory.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring the ancestors through proper śrāddha is portrayed as a powerful means of karmic purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is situated in Revākhaṇḍa’s tīrtha environment (Revā/Narmadā region), where such rites yield great merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha for the Pitṛs strictly according to vidhi (proper procedure) to obtain sarvapāpa-kṣaya.