Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वं प्रयत्नेन श्राद्धं तत्र समाचरेत् । क्षत्रियश्च विशेषेण य इच्छेच्छत्रुसंक्षयम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaṃ prayatnena śrāddhaṃ tatra samācaret | kṣatriyaśca viśeṣeṇa ya icchecchatrusaṃkṣayam

Translation

Darum soll man dort mit allem Eifer die Śrāddha-Riten vollziehen. Und besonders ein Kṣatriya—wenn er die Vernichtung der Feinde begehrt—soll es an jenem heiligen Ort tun.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Therefore)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे ‘therefore’

• सर्वम्: all/entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘श्राद्धम्’ विशेषयति

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षत्रियः: a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे ‘especially’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject of ‘इच्छेत्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• इच्छेत्: would desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriyā (Verb of relative clause)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शत्रुसंक्षयम्: destruction of enemies
• शत्रुसंक्षयम्: Karma (Object of desire)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘शत्रूणां संक्षयः’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in this isolated verse (within Pulastya–royal dialogue context of Arbuda Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāma-tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting at a tīrtha: brāhmaṇas seated on kuśa mats, offerings arranged (piṇḍa, tila, water), a kṣatriya patron with folded hands, and the tīrtha waters shimmering behind—suggesting both devotion and protective power.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites performed at a praised tīrtha become a potent dharmic support, aligning worldly aims with sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the praised local tīrtha in this section—Rāma-tīrtha within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing śrāddha (rites for ancestors) at that tīrtha, with special emphasis for kṣatriyas seeking the diminution of enemies.