Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं तत्रैव यः कुर्यादुपवासपरायणः । कुर्वन्प्रमोचयेत्प्रेतान्नरकान्नृपनन्दन

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ tatraiva yaḥ kuryādupavāsaparāyaṇaḥ | kurvanpramocayetpretānnarakānnṛpanandana

Translation

O Königssohn, wer dort selbst das Śrāddha vollzieht, dem Fasten ergeben, der befreit durch diese Tat die Seelen der Verstorbenen aus höllischen Zuständen.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मत्वे

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• एव: indeed / right there
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis: indeed/only)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• उपवासपरायणः: devoted to fasting
• उपवासपरायणः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (उपवासे परायणः = devoted to fasting)

• कुर्वन्: doing (thus)
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent, participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सहक्रिया (while doing)

• प्रमोचयेत्: should free / cause to be released
• प्रमोचयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+मुच् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्तः (cause to be released)

• प्रेतान्: departed spirits
• प्रेतान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मत्वे

• नरकान्: from hells
• नरकान्: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अपादानार्थे (ablatival sense: ‘from hells’)—कर्मपदेन व्यक्तम्

• नृपनन्दन: O king’s son
• नृपनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपस्य नन्दनः = king’s son)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-saṅgama tīrtha (implied)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpanandana (prince)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fasting devotee performs śrāddha on riverbank: darbha seat, piṇḍas, tila, water offerings; subtle depiction of relieved ancestors rising from shadowy suffering toward light.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Pretas (departed)
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-dharma performed at a tīrtha, with discipline like fasting, is said to uplift ancestors and transform suffering into release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Narmadā-associated tīrtha locale being praised in Adhyāya 99 (context: Nāgeśvara and nearby sacred confluence).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha at the tīrtha while observing upavāsa (fasting) to benefit the departed.