Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

स्वाहाकारस्वधाकारैर्यजंति पितृदेवताः । निःक्षुधः कुरुते यस्माद्गर्भौषधिसुधाऽमृतैः

Transliteration

svāhākārasvadhākārairyajaṃti pitṛdevatāḥ | niḥkṣudhaḥ kurute yasmādgarbhauṣadhisudhā'mṛtaiḥ

Translation

Die Pitṛ-Gottheiten werden durch die Ausrufe ‘svāhā’ und ‘svadhā’ verehrt. Und weil sie die Wesen durch die Kräuter ihres Schoßes, Nektar und amṛta-gleiches Gedeihen vom Hunger befreit, wird sie als die Verehrte gepriesen, die Hungersnot und Mangel vertreibt.

Word by Word

• स्वाहाकारस्वधाकारैः: with the utterances ‘svāhā’ and ‘svadhā’
• स्वाहाकारस्वधाकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाहा-कार (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वधा-कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—स्वाहाकारश्च स्वधाकारश्च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• यजन्ति: worship/sacrifice
• यजन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितृदेवताः: the Pitṛ-deities (ancestral deities)
• पितृदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—पितॄणां देवताः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• निःक्षुधः: free from hunger
• निःक्षुधः: Karma-pradhana predicate (object-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःक्षुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कुरुते: makes (someone)
• कुरुते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यस्मात्: because of which
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; हेत्वर्थे (because of which)

• गर्भौषधिसुधा: embryo, herbs, and nectar
• गर्भौषधिसुधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + औषधि (प्रातिपदिक) + सुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—गर्भश्च औषधिश्च सुधा च (समाहार-द्वन्द्व/बहुपद)

• अमृतैः: with ambrosias/immortal essences
• अमृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced for Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene where offerings are made with ‘svāhā’ into fire and ‘svadhā’ with water/til for ancestors; Earth as a maternal figure holding herbs and a pot of nectar-like sustenance, symbolizing freedom from hunger.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛ-devatāḥ
• Svāhā
• Svadhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained through proper ritual speech and gratitude to the ancestors; sacred utterances and offerings uphold cosmic nourishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of ‘svāhā’ in deva-offerings and ‘svadhā’ in Pitṛ rites (śrāddha/tarpaṇa) as the correct Vedic form of worship.