Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अथ श्राद्धविधिं वक्ष्ये पार्वणस्य विधानतः । यथाक्रमं महादेवि शृणुष्वैकमनाः प्रिये

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | atha śrāddhavidhiṃ vakṣye pārvaṇasya vidhānataḥ | yathākramaṃ mahādevi śṛṇuṣvaikamanāḥ priye

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Nun werde ich, der Vorschrift gemäß, das Verfahren des Pārvaṇa-Śrāddha darlegen. Höre der rechten Reihenfolge nach, o geliebte Mahādevī, mit einspitzigem Geist.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/कर्ता, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भसूचक (sequencer)

• श्राद्धविधिम्: the procedure of śrāddha
• श्राद्धविधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/कर्म, एकवचन

• वक्ष्ये: I shall explain
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पार्वणस्य: of the pārvaṇa (type of śrāddha)
• पार्वणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध (6th case), एकवचन

• विधानतः: according to the injunction
• विधानतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; ‘-तः’ (ablatival adverb)

• यथाक्रमम्: in due order
• यथाक्रमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देवी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/आह्वान (Vocative), एकवचन

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘शृणु’ + ‘स्व’ (आगम)

• एकमनाः: with single-pointed mind
• एकमनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘एकं मनः यस्य’ (one-pointed); विशेषण (त्वम्)

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; स्नेहसम्बोधन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, serene and instructive, addresses Pārvatī in a sacred grove near the sea-side Prabhāsa; ritual vessels, darbha grass, and a śrāddha-altar are arranged, signaling an impending procedural teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is presented as a structured dharmic rite best learned with attention and performed according to injunction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse sits within Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, framing ritual teaching in a tīrtha-mahātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An introduction to the formal, step-by-step procedure of Pārvaṇa Śrāddha.