Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

पितॄणां वल्लभं तीर्थं पिंडेनैकेन तर्पिताः । ब्रह्मलोकं गमिष्यंति सुपुत्रेणेह तारिताः

Transliteration

pitṝṇāṃ vallabhaṃ tīrthaṃ piṃḍenaikena tarpitāḥ | brahmalokaṃ gamiṣyaṃti suputreṇeha tāritāḥ

Translation

هذا التيرثا محبوبٌ لدى الأسلاف. فإذا ارتووا برضى من قُربانٍ واحد من البِنْدَة (piṇḍa)، مضَوا إلى براهمالوك (Brahmaloka)، وقد خُلِّصوا هنا بفضل ابنٍ بارٍّ صالح.

Word by Word

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• vallabham: dear/beloved
• vallabham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vallabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with tīrtham (acc./nom. sg. neut.)

• tīrtham: the sacred ford
• tīrtham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (विषय) / द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; here as topic with implied 'is'

• piṃḍena: with a piṇḍa (rice-ball offering)
• piṃḍena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• ekena: with one (single)
• ekena: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; agrees with piṃḍena

• tarpitāḥ: satisfied/propitiated
• tarpitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṛp (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Past passive participle; (they) having been satisfied

• brahmalokam: Brahma-loka
• brahmalokam: Gati/Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः लोकः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (गति/कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular (goal)

• gamiṣyanti: will go
• gamiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; Future, 3rd pl.

• suputreṇa: by a good son
• suputreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सः पुत्रः यः सुः/श्रेष्ठः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• iha: here
• iha: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• tāritāḥ: delivered/saved
• tāritāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṝ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Past passive participle; (they) having been delivered

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a virtuous son offers a single piṇḍa; ancestors appear satisfied, receiving light and ascending toward Brahmaloka, with a serene cosmic lotus-world motif above.

Characters & Entities

• pitṛs (ancestors)
• piṇḍa
• Brahmaloka
• suputra
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving ancestors through śrāddha and piṇḍa at a revered tīrtha is a powerful expression of dharma that brings exalted posthumous welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A pitṛ-beloved tīrtha within Prabhāsa Kṣetra, in the Sarasvatī māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering even a single piṇḍa (piṇḍadāna) to satisfy the pitṛs.