Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तत्र शांता नराः सम्यक्परं निर्वाणमाप्नुयुः । श्राद्धं कृत्वा महाराज स्वर्गे यांति च पूर्वजाः

Transliteration

tatra śāṃtā narāḥ samyakparaṃ nirvāṇamāpnuyuḥ | śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā mahārāja svarge yāṃti ca pūrvajāḥ

Translation

Dort erlangen die still gewordenen Menschen auf rechte Weise die höchste Befreiung; und, o großer König, wenn dort Śrāddha dargebracht wird, gelangen auch die Ahnen in den Himmel.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: “there”)

• शान्ताः: peaceful
• शान्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शम् धातु-जन्य कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. pl.)

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: properly, well)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (neut. acc. sg.)

• निर्वाणम्: nirvāṇa, liberation
• निर्वाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• आप्नुयुः: may attain
• आप्नुयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (they may attain)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): “having done”

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राज (प्रातिपदिक; महा + राजन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधन (vocative)

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (masc. loc. sg.)

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction: and)

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; addressing a king as listener within the narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda tīrtha (mokṣa and pitṛ-kārya siddhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (mahārāja) is directly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet tīrtha on Arbuda: sādhus seated in meditation under trees; a householder performs śrāddha with piṇḍas and water offerings; subtle vision of satisfied pitṛs ascending toward svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Nirvāṇa (liberation)
• Śrāddha
• Pūrvajas (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage places are not only for personal peace and liberation; they are also fields for fulfilling pitṛ-dharma through śrāddha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ refers to the Arbuda sacred region described in this adhyāya, sanctified by Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing śrāddha (ancestral rites) at the site is said to benefit the forefathers, leading them to heaven.