Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 125

Devanagari script

एकान्ते तु गृहे गुप्ते पितॄणां श्राद्धमिष्यते । नीचं दृष्ट्वा हतं तत्तु पितॄणां नोपतिष्ठति

Transliteration

ekānte tu gṛhe gupte pitṝṇāṃ śrāddhamiṣyate | nīcaṃ dṛṣṭvā hataṃ tattu pitṝṇāṃ nopatiṣṭhati

Translation

Das Śrāddha für die Pitṛs soll im Haus an einem abgeschiedenen, privaten und geschützten Ort vollzogen werden. Wird es von Niedriggesinnten gesehen, so wird dieses Śrāddha verdorben und erreicht die Ahnen nicht.

Word by Word

• एकान्ते: in solitude
• एकान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनम् = Locative singular

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनम् = Locative singular

• गुप्ते: hidden/secret
• गुप्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गुप् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचनम् = Locative singular; विशेषणम् (to ‘gṛhe’)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम् = Genitive plural

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम् = Nominative singular

• इष्यते: is approved/is prescribed
• इष्यते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् = 3rd person singular; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः ‘is approved/desired’

• नीचम्: a low person
• नीचम्: Karman (Object of ‘dṛṣṭvā’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचनम् = Accusative singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having seen

• हतम्: ruined/spoiled
• हतम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; हन् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम् = Nominative singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (understood: śrāddham)

• तत्: that (rite)
• तत्: Anuvṛtti/Pratyāhāra (Anaphoric subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम् = Nominative singular; (refers to śrāddha)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचनम् = Genitive plural

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• उपतिष्ठति: reaches/serves/benefits (is available to)
• उपतिष्ठति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् = 3rd person singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a guarded inner room (gṛha-guhā): a small altar-like setup with kuśa, tila, and water; a curtain or doorway marks privacy; outside, shadowy figures are kept away, emphasizing the protected sanctity of the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha should be done with humility and protected sanctity; publicity and disrespect undermine its spiritual efficacy for the Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, tying ritual correctness to the sacred geography of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Pitṛ-śrāddha in a secluded, guarded place; avoid exposure to contemptuous or base observers.