Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । पितृमेधेन राजेंद्र कृतेन विधिपूर्वकम् । निरयस्था दिवं यांति यद्यपि स्युः सुपापिनः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | pitṛmedhena rājeṃdra kṛtena vidhipūrvakam | nirayasthā divaṃ yāṃti yadyapi syuḥ supāpinaḥ

Translation

Die Brāhmaṇas sprachen: O Herr der Könige, wenn das Pitṛmedha nach der vorgeschriebenen Regel und in rechter ritueller Weise vollzogen wird, steigen selbst die Ahnen, die in der Hölle weilen, zum Himmel empor, mögen sie auch schwer sündig sein.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• पितृ-मेधेन: by the pitṛmedha rite
• पितृ-मेधेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘पितॄणां मेधः’ (pitṛ-sacrifice/rite)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय — ‘इन्द्र इव राजा’

• कृतेन: performed
• कृतेन: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — ‘कृत’ (done/performed)

• विधि-पूर्वकम्: according to prescribed procedure
• विधि-पूर्वकम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण — ‘विधिना पूर्वकं’ = according to rule

• निरय-स्थाः: those in hell
• निरय-स्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (दिवम् = heaven)

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

• यद्यपि: even if
• यद्यपि: Sambandha (Concession)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-समुच्चय/सम्बन्धबोधक (concessive conjunction)

• स्युः: might be
• स्युः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सु-पापिनः: very sinful
• सु-पापिनः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय — ‘अत्यन्तं पापिनः’

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of brāhmaṇas instructs a king about Pitṛmedha; in the background, a symbolic vision shows ancestors rising from a dark nether realm toward a luminous heaven, guided by ritual fire and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇāḥ
• rājendra
• Pitṛmedha
• niraya
• diva (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly performed ancestral rites are depicted as powerfully redemptive, extending grace even to heavily burdened ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular site is not named; the emphasis is on the efficacy of the Pitṛmedha performed according to śāstric rule.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Pitṛmedha ‘vidhi-pūrvakam’—strictly following the prescribed ritual procedure.