Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ईश्वर उवाच । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि श्राद्धदानान्यनुक्रमात् । तारणाय च भूतानां सरस्वत्यब्धिसंगमे

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | īśvara uvāca | ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi śrāddhadānānyanukramāt | tāraṇāya ca bhūtānāṃ sarasvatyabdhisaṃgame

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Von nun an werde ich der Reihe nach die Gaben darlegen, die im Śrāddha zu spenden sind, zur Erlösung der Wesen, am Zusammenfluss der Sarasvatī mit dem Ozean.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति—पाठभेद/अनुवादसूचना)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (पुनरुक्ति)

• अतः: thereafter/therefore
• अतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Discourse adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/अनन्तरार्थ (therefore/thereafter)

• परम्: further/next
• परम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “further/next”)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• श्राद्धदानानि: śrāddha and gifts (rites of offering)
• श्राद्धदानानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध-दान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (श्राद्धं च दानं च)

• अनुक्रमात्: in due order/sequence
• अनुक्रमात्: Hetu/Adverbial (Manner/sequence)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative); एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—“क्रमेण” (in order)

• तारणाय: for the deliverance
• तारणाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति (4th/Dative); एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• सरस्वती-अब्धि-संगमे: at the Sarasvatī–ocean confluence
• सरस्वती-अब्धि-संगमे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती-अब्धि-संगम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: सरस्वत्यब्धिसंगम (Sarasvatī–Abdhi Saṅgama)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara as teacher, seated in serene majesty, indicating the sacred saṅgama where the Sarasvatī meets the ocean; pilgrims prepare śrāddha offerings on the shore with darbha, water-vessels, and piṇḍas.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Śrāddha-dāna
• Sarasvatī–Abdhi Saṅgama
• Bhūta (beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is not only remembrance but also dāna (charity); giving, done rightly at a tīrtha, supports liberation and welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī–ocean confluence in Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the explicit ritual setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A forthcoming ordered list of Śrāddha gifts (śrāddha-dāna) to be performed at the saṅgama.