Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । इहागत्य नरो यस्तु त्रिरात्रोपोषितः शुचिः । कृत्वा स्नानं पितॄंस्तर्प्य श्राद्धं कुर्यात्समाहितः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | ihāgatya naro yastu trirātropoṣitaḥ śuciḥ | kṛtvā snānaṃ pitṝṃstarpya śrāddhaṃ kuryātsamāhitaḥ

Translation

قال الحكماء: «من أتى إلى هنا وبقي طاهرًا وصام ثلاث ليالٍ؛ ثم اغتسل وقدّم سكبَ الماء (ترپَنا) للآباء والأجداد، فليُقم شعيرة الشرادها (śrāddha) بقلبٍ مجموعٍ حاضر».

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; Perfect 3rd pl, परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), Absolutive/gerund

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject; of कुर्यात्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Relative pronoun

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• त्रिरात्रोपोषितः: having fasted for three nights
• त्रिरात्रोपोषितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + उपोषित (उप + वस्/उपवस् धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (त्रिरात्रे उपोषितः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular qualifying नरः

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular qualifying नरः

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), Absolutive/gerund

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object; of कृत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object; of तर्प्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• तर्प्य: having satisfied (with offerings)
• तर्प्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्/तर्प् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/य-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having satisfied’

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object; of कुर्यात्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (संभावना/विधान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Optative 3rd sg, परस्मैपद

• समाहितः: composed/attentive
• समाहितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular qualifying नरः

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purandara/Indra (and by extension future pilgrims)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, clean and restrained after a three-night fast, bathes at a sacred water spot in Prabhāsa, then offers tarpaṇa with cupped hands and performs śrāddha with a priest and offerings arranged on darbha, facing the proper direction.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha
• Snāna
• Tarpana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes complete when joined with purity, restraint (fasting), and grateful duty to ancestors through śrāddha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to “here” within the Ṛṣitīrtha context of Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A three-night fast, holy bath, Pitṛ-tarpaṇa, and śrāddha performed with mental concentration.