Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पिण्डदानं प्रकुर्याद्यः प्रेतानां भक्तिसंयुतः । पिण्डेनैकेन राजेन्द्र प्रेता यान्ति परां गतिम्

Transliteration

piṇḍadānaṃ prakuryādyaḥ pretānāṃ bhaktisaṃyutaḥ | piṇḍenaikena rājendra pretā yānti parāṃ gatim

Translation

যে ভক্তিসহ প্রেতদের উদ্দেশ্যে পিণ্ডদান করে, হে রাজেন্দ্র, একটিমাত্র পিণ্ডেই প্রেতেরা পরম গতি লাভ করে।

Word by Word

• पिण्डदानम्: the offering of a piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (पिण्डस्य दानम्)

• प्रकुर्यात्: should perform
• प्रकुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• प्रेतानाम्: of the departed spirits
• प्रेतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• भक्तिसंयुतः: endowed with devotion
• भक्तिसंयुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + संयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (भक्त्या संयुतः)

• पिण्डेन: by/with a piṇḍa
• पिण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• एकेन: with a single
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषण (पिण्डेन)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (इन्द्रः राज्ञाम्)

• प्रेताः: the departed spirits
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (गतिम्)

• गतिम्: state/destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is addressed (‘rājendra’) while a devotee offers a single piṇḍa at a riverbank; subtle presence of ancestors/preta forms dissolving into light, indicating ‘parā gati’.

Characters & Entities

• Piṇḍa-dāna
• Preta
• Rājendra (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional ancestral offerings are portrayed as powerful liberative acts, aiding the departed toward an elevated destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-context, implying heightened efficacy of piṇḍa-dāna in the Revā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa-dāna (a key śrāddha component) performed with bhakti for the departed.