Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30
मृतेऽहनि पितुर्यस्तु न कुर्याच्छ्राद्धमादरात् । मातुश्चैव वरारोहे स द्विजः शूद्रसंनिभः
mṛte'hani pituryastu na kuryācchrāddhamādarāt | mātuścaiva varārohe sa dvijaḥ śūdrasaṃnibhaḥ
Wer am Todestag seines Vaters das śrāddha nicht ehrfürchtig vollzieht—und ebenso für die Mutter, o du mit schönen Hüften—ein solcher „Zweimalgeborener“ gilt im dharmischen Stand einem śūdra gleich.
Unknown (addressed to ‘Varārohe’, likely Devī in context)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: (addressed) ‘varārohe’—a feminine addressee within the dialogue frame
Scene: On the death-anniversary day, a householder neglects the śrāddha; the pitṛs appear faint and unsatisfied in the background; a compassionate elder admonishes; offerings (piṇḍa, tila, water) remain untouched.
FAQs
Neglecting ancestral duties undermines dharma; reverent śrāddha is central to household righteousness.
The instruction is embedded in Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s Māhātmya, where purity of rites supports the merit of sacred travel.
Perform śrāddha with reverence on the death-day observances for father and mother.