Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

भुंजंति क्रमशः पूर्वे तथा पिंडाशिषो ऽपि च । निमंत्रितो द्विजः श्राद्धे न शयीत स्त्रिया सह

Transliteration

bhuṃjaṃti kramaśaḥ pūrve tathā piṃḍāśiṣo 'pi ca | nimaṃtrito dvijaḥ śrāddhe na śayīta striyā saha

Translation

Die Früheren, die Älteren und Vornehmsten, essen der Reihe nach; ebenso werden die Segenswünsche im Zusammenhang mit den Piṇḍa-Gaben zuteil. Ein zum Śrāddha eingeladener Dvija (Zweimalgeborener) soll während dieser Observanz nicht mit einer Frau liegen.

Word by Word

• भुञ्जन्ति: they eat
• भुञ्जन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; धातुः भुज्—भक्षणे (to eat)

• क्रमशः: in order, successively
• क्रमशः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb)

• पूर्वे: the earlier ones/elders
• पूर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Upapada (सम्बन्ध/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (particle/adverb)

• पिण्डाशिषः: those who partake of the piṇḍa-offerings
• पिण्डाशिषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + आशिष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डस्य आशिषः)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• निमन्त्रितः: (one who is) invited
• निमन्त्रितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + मन्त्र् (धातु) → निमन्त्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘invited’

• द्विजः: a brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• शयीत: should sleep/lie down
• शयीत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; धातुः शी—शयने (to lie/sleep)

• स्त्रिया: with a woman
• स्त्रिया: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (postposition: ‘with’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha feast arranged in sequence: senior brāhmaṇas seated first; piṇḍa offerings nearby; a brāhmaṇa guest declines intimacy, keeping vrata-like restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Piṇḍa
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual service to ancestors requires restraint and ordered conduct, especially for those representing sacred authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya framework, giving rules for śrāddha performed in sacred contexts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed participants in proper order; an invited dvija for śrāddha should avoid sleeping with a woman during the rite period.