Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

शिवरात्र्यां विशेषेण पिंडदानादिकां क्रियाम् । कुर्याच्छस्त्रहतानां च पापिनां तत्र मुक्तये

Transliteration

śivarātryāṃ viśeṣeṇa piṃḍadānādikāṃ kriyām | kuryācchastrahatānāṃ ca pāpināṃ tatra muktaye

Translation

Besonders an Śivarātri soll man dort Handlungen wie die Darbringung von Piṇḍa (piṇḍa-dāna) und andere Riten vollziehen, zur Befreiung der durch Waffen Getöteten und der Sünder.

Word by Word

• शिवरात्र्यां: on Śivarātri
• शिवरात्र्यां: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivarātrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (instrumental used adverbially: “especially”)

• पिण्डदानादिकाम्: such as piṇḍa-offering
• पिण्डदानादिकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: piṇḍa + dāna + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थ (piṇḍa-dāna-ādikā = “such as piṇḍa-offering”) क्रियाम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• क्रियाम्: rite, act
• क्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शस्त्रहतानाम्: of those slain by weapons
• शस्त्रहतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śastra + hata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (śastra-hata = “killed by weapon”)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पापिनाम्: of sinners
• पापिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय

• मुक्तये: for liberation
• मुक्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī) and by extension the audience of the māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa by the sea, pilgrims on Śivarātri offer piṇḍas and tarpaṇa near a sacred kuṇḍa/ghāṭa; lamps flicker, brāhmaṇas chant, and the mood is solemn—seeking release for the weapon-slain and sinners.

Characters & Entities

• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate ritual action for the dead—performed at a potent tīrtha and time—supports upliftment and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ refers to the Kuṇḍalasaṃbhava/Brahmakuṇḍa vicinity within Prabhāsa Kṣetra (from the immediate context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri observance with piṇḍa-dāna and allied śrāddha-style rites for the departed, including those who died violently.