Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

ध्वजदानात्पापहानिर्यात्राकृद्ब्रह्मलोकभाक् । श्राद्धपिंडप्रदो लोके विष्णुर्नेष्यति वै पितॄन्

Transliteration

dhvajadānātpāpahāniryātrākṛdbrahmalokabhāk | śrāddhapiṃḍaprado loke viṣṇurneṣyati vai pitṝn

Translation

ধ্বজ দান করলে পাপ ক্ষয় হয়; তীর্থযাত্রী ব্রহ্মলোকের অধিকারী হয়। আর এই পুণ্যক্ষেত্রে যে শ্রাদ্ধের পিণ্ড দান করে, তার পিতৃগণকে স্বয়ং বিষ্ণুই কল্যাণপথে অগ্রসর করান।

Word by Word

• ध्वजदानात्: from the gift of a banner
• ध्वजदानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvaja-dāna (प्रातिपदिक; समास: ध्वज + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे पञ्चमी

• पापहानिः: destruction of sin
• पापहानिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa-hāni (प्रातिपदिक; समास: पाप + हानि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यात्राकृत्: the pilgrim (one who undertakes the journey)
• यात्राकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā-kṛt (प्रातिपदिक; समास: यात्रा + कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कृत्’ (doer) = one who performs pilgrimage

• ब्रह्मलोकभाक्: partaker of Brahma-world
• ब्रह्मलोकभाक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahma-loka-bhāj (प्रातिपदिक; समास: ब्रह्मलोक + भाक्/भाज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘भाक्’ = भागी (partaker), विशेषण (qualifying yātrākṛt)

• श्राद्धपिण्डप्रदः: giver of śrāddha rice-balls
• श्राद्धपिण्डप्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha-piṇḍa-prada (प्रातिपदिक; समास: श्राद्ध + पिण्ड + प्रद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (śrāddhe piṇḍaṃ pradāti)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नेष्यति: will lead
• नेष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (नी धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors/fathers
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya instructional tone; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple flag is ceremonially gifted and raised; nearby, a pilgrim performs piṇḍa-pradāna at a tīrtha-bank while a luminous Viṣṇu figure symbolically leads forefathers along a radiant path.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Brahmaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and charity at Prabhāsa purify sin, and śrāddha offerings directly support the welfare and onward journey of one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha) is being praised within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhvaja-dāna (donating a banner/flag) and offering śrāddha piṇḍas for the Pitṛs.