Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ऋषिधान्येन यस्तत्र श्राद्धं नृप समाचरेत् । स पितृंस्तारयेत्सर्वान्पक्षयोरुभयोरपि

Transliteration

ṛṣidhānyena yastatra śrāddhaṃ nṛpa samācaret | sa pitṛṃstārayetsarvānpakṣayorubhayorapi

Translation

أيها الملك، من أقام هناك شعيرة الشْرادْدها مستعمِلًا «حبوبَ الرِّشي» (الحبوب المقدّسة المنسوبة إلى الحكماء) فإنّه يُنقِذ جميع أسلافه، في كلا النصفين من الشهر: المضيء والمظلم.

Word by Word

• ऋषिधान्येन: with sage-grain (a sacred grain)
• ऋषिधान्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, instrumental singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Pronoun, masculine nominative singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — indeclinable adverb of place

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, accusative singular

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, vocative singular

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Pronoun, masculine nominative singular

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, accusative plural

• तारयेत्: should deliver/save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person singular

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, accusative plural; विशेषण (to पितॄन्)

• पक्षयोः: in (both) fortnights
• पक्षयोः: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचन — Masculine, genitive/locative dual

• उभयोः: of both
• उभयोः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचन — Genitive/locative dual; विशेषण (to पक्षयोः)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-भाव) — indeclinable particle

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vasiṣṭhāśrama-tīrtha (Arbuda)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens as a sage describes śrāddha at a forest-hermitage tīrtha; a performer offers piṇḍas and tilodaka near a clear pool, with ascetics and sacred grain vessels present.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-based śrāddha is exalted as a potent act of compassion and duty that uplifts one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha at Vasiṣṭha’s kuṇḍa/area in Arbuda Khaṇḍa, where śrāddha is said to be especially effective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha performed there, specifically using ṛṣi-dhānya (sacred grain), with efficacy in both lunar fortnights.