Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

लोके श्रेष्ठतमं सर्वं ह्यात्मनश्चापि यत्प्रियम् । सर्वं पितॄणां दातव्यं तदेवाक्षय्यमिच्छताम्

Transliteration

loke śreṣṭhatamaṃ sarvaṃ hyātmanaścāpi yatpriyam | sarvaṃ pitṝṇāṃ dātavyaṃ tadevākṣayyamicchatām

Translation

Was immer in dieser Welt als das Beste gilt—und was dem eigenen Herzen am liebsten ist—soll den Pitṛs (Ahnen) dargebracht werden. Wer unvergängliches Verdienst begehrt, dem wird eben diese Gabe unerschöpflich.

Word by Word

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठतमम्: the best
• श्रेष्ठतमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; अतिशयवाचक (superlative)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणार्थक निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipāta (Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक (also/even)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object; correlates with तत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• प्रियम्: dear/pleasing
• प्रियम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with यत्)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object of implied ‘to be given’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: to the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sampradāna (Recipient; expressed as genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Kriyā (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विधेयार्थ—“कर्तव्यम्/देयम्”

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object; resumptive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; तद्-सम्बन्ध (correlative to यत्)

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक

• अक्षय्यम्: imperishable
• अक्षय्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with तत्)

• इच्छताम्: of those who desire
• इच्छताम्: Sambandha (Genitive of agent/possessor)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग?—प्रयोगे षष्ठी बहुवचन (Genitive plural) ‘इच्छताम्’ = “of those who desire”

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narration style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (śrāddha-dāna context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder at Prabhāsa offers his finest possessions—gleaming vessels, fine cloth, abundant food—before brāhmaṇas representing pitṛs; the act is marked by heartfelt relinquishment.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offer what is best and personally cherished for the Pitṛs; such śrāddha-gifts yield akṣaya (inexhaustible) merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya) is the setting where śrāddha and pitṛ-sevā are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable offering) dedicated to the Pitṛs—especially of one’s best possessions—aimed at akṣaya-puṇya.