Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

शृगाल गृधवायसाः परं प्रपातमादधुः । क्वचित्परे निशाचराः प्रपीतशोणितोत्कटाः । प्रतर्प्य चात्मनः पितॄन्समर्चयंस्तथा ऋषीन्

Transliteration

śṛgāla gṛdhavāyasāḥ paraṃ prapātamādadhuḥ | kvacitpare niśācarāḥ prapītaśoṇitotkaṭāḥ | pratarpya cātmanaḥ pitṝnsamarcayaṃstathā ṛṣīn

Translation

Schakale, Geier und Krähen fielen in großer Zahl darüber her. An manchen Orten befriedigten andere Nachtwandler – wild vom Bluttrinken – ihre eigenen Vorfahren und verehrten ebenso die Ṛṣis.

Word by Word

• शृगाल: jackals
• शृगाल: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृगाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (छन्दसि/पाठभेदे रूपम्; सामान्यतः शृगालाः)

• गृधवायसाः: vultures and crows
• गृधवायसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• परम्: great, intense
• परम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘प्रपातम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• प्रपातम्: a plunge/attack, swoop
• प्रपातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आदधुः: they made, they undertook
• आदधुः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• क्वचित्: somewhere, at times
• क्वचित्: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Place adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/प्रसङ्ग (adverb: ‘somewhere/sometimes’)

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘अन्ये’ अर्थे

• निशाचराः: night-roamers (demons)
• निशाचराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रपीतशोणितोत्कटाः: fierce from having drunk blood
• प्रपीतशोणितोत्कटाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + पी (धातु) + शोणित (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative; ‘प्रपीतं शोणितं येषां/येन’ + उत्कट); प्रपीत = क्त (PPP) from √पी ‘to drink’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘निशाचराः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• प्रतर्प्य: having satisfied (fed)
• प्रतर्प्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

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

• आत्मनः: of themselves, their own
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; स्वकीयार्थे

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• समर्चयन्: worshipping, honoring
• समर्चयन्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘परे/निशाचराः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Prakāra (Manner adjunct/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार (manner adverb)

• ऋषीन्: the sages
• ऋषीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Scavengers—jackals, vultures, crows—descend in swarms; rākṣasas, mouths crimson, perform grim ‘tarpaṇa’ gestures and offer worship to ṛṣis amid carnage.

Characters & Entities

• Niśācaras
• Pitṛs
• Ṛṣis
• Śṛgāla (jackals)
• Gṛdhra (vultures)
• Vāyasa (crows)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid chaos, the purāṇic world upholds obligations to pitṛs and ṛṣis—reminding that dharma includes reverence and offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛ-tarpaṇa (satisfying ancestors with offerings) and honoring Ṛṣis are referenced, though not laid out as a step-by-step injunction here.