Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

उद्धृतेष्वपि पिण्डेषु याश्चान्नकणिका भुवि । ताभिराप्यायनं तेषां तिर्यक्त्वं च कुले गताः

Transliteration

uddhṛteṣvapi piṇḍeṣu yāścānnakaṇikā bhuvi | tābhirāpyāyanaṃ teṣāṃ tiryaktvaṃ ca kule gatāḥ

Translation

Selbst wenn die Piṇḍas weggenommen sind, werden durch die auf der Erde verbleibenden Körner und kleinsten Speisereste auch jene Dahingegangenen genährt, die innerhalb der Familienlinie in tierische Geburt gefallen sind.

Word by Word

• उद्धृतेषु: in (the) lifted/removed
• उद्धृतेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्धृत (प्रातिपदिक; उद्-√हृ (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पिण्डेषु)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-अर्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• पिण्डेषु: in the rice-balls (piṇḍas)
• पिण्डेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• याः: which (those)
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकं सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्नकणिकाः: grains/particles of food
• अन्नकणिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न-कणिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• भुवि: on the earth
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ताभिः: by those
• ताभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• आप्यायनम्: nourishment/satiation
• आप्यायनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप्यायन (प्रातिपदिक; √प्याय् (धातु) भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तिर्यक्त्वम्: animality (state of being an animal)
• तिर्यक्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; तिर्यक् + -त्व तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुले: in a family/lineage
• कुले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• गताः: having gone/entered
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied disciple/son addressed in the sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After piṇḍa offerings are lifted, tiny grains remain on the earth; unseen animal-form ancestors (tiryak-gati) are shown being nourished by those grains, suggesting compassion reaching the lowest states.

Characters & Entities

• Piṇḍa
• Pitṛ
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No part of a sincere offering is wasted; even leftover grains can benefit ancestors, regardless of their post-death state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, a major tīrtha praised in the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha with piṇḍa offerings; it highlights the merit of even minute food remnants associated with the rite.