Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं कृत्वा यथाशक्त्या दत्त्वा विप्राय दक्षिणाम् । विमुक्तः सर्वदुःखेभ्यो रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā yathāśaktyā dattvā viprāya dakṣiṇām | vimuktaḥ sarvaduḥkhebhyo rudralokaṃ sa gacchati

Translation

Hat man das śrāddha nach Kräften vollzogen und einem Brāhmaṇa die gebührende dakṣiṇā ehrerbietig dargebracht, so wird man von allem Leid befreit und gelangt in Rudras Welt.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, neuter)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund: ‘having done’)

• यथाशक्त्या: as much as possible
• यथाशक्त्या: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; तृतीया एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial: ‘according to one’s ability’)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund: ‘having given’)

• विप्राय: to a brāhmaṇa
• विप्राय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Dative singular, masculine)

• दक्षिणाम्: a fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object of giving)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, feminine)

• विमुक्तः: freed
• विमुक्तः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु) → विमुक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; ‘freed’

• सर्वदुःखेभ्यः: from all sorrows
• सर्वदुःखेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/separation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Ablative plural, neuter); ‘all (kinds of) sorrows’

• रुद्रलोकम्: Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोकम्: Karma (Goal/object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, masculine)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masculine)

• गच्छति: goes/attains
• गच्छति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (instructional narrative within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra (Nāga-sthāna chapter context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Pārvatī (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple performs śrāddha at Prabhāsa: darbha spread, piṇḍas and water-libations offered; a seated brāhmaṇa receives dakṣiṇā; in the background a luminous Śiva-realm motif suggests Rudra-loka.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Rudraloka
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practical: honoring ancestors and supporting priests with sincere capacity-based giving yields spiritual upliftment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rites are framed within the Nāgasthāna/Trisaṅgama context of Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha according to means and give dakṣiṇā to a brāhmaṇa.