Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

पञ्चाग्निकर्मनिष्ठश्च तपोनिष्ठश्च मातुलः । पितृमातृपरश्चैव शिष्यसंबंधिबांधवः

Transliteration

pañcāgnikarmaniṣṭhaśca taponiṣṭhaśca mātulaḥ | pitṛmātṛparaścaiva śiṣyasaṃbaṃdhibāṃdhavaḥ

Translation

Man soll solche Menschen ehren: den Onkel mütterlicherseits (mātula), der in der Askese der fünf Feuer (pañcāgni) verankert und im tapas standhaft ist; den, der Vater und Mutter ergeben ist; und auch den Verwandten, der durch Schüler und Beziehungen verbunden ist.

Word by Word

• पञ्चाग्निकर्मनिष्ठः: steadfast in the pañcāgni rite
• पञ्चाग्निकर्मनिष्ठः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चाग्निकर्मणि निष्ठा यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तपोनिष्ठः: steadfast in austerity
• तपोनिष्ठः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तपसि निष्ठा यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• मातुलः: maternal uncle
• मातुलः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पितृमातृपरः: devoted to father and mother
• पितृमातृपरः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वपूर्वपद (पितृ+मातृ) ततः तत्पुरुषार्थः (पितृमातृयोः परः = devoted to father and mother)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• शिष्यसंबंधिबांधवः: a relative connected through a disciple
• शिष्यसंबंधिबांधवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संबंधिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + बांधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शिष्यस्य सम्बन्धी यः, सः बांधवः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor seeking śrāddha norms

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pañcāgni-tapasvin maternal uncle (mātula) with four fires around and the sun overhead, being respectfully invited to a śrāddha meal; nearby, a devotee caring for aged parents; disciples and their kin present as honored guests.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor and include dharmic, austere, and family-duty-oriented elders and relations in sacred rites such as śrāddha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsapattana/Somnath region), within the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa’s māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A guideline on whom to honor/invite for rites connected with offerings (havyakavya/śrāddha context).