Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आच्छादनं तु यो दद्यादहतं श्राद्धकर्मणि । आयुः प्रकाशमैश्वर्यं रूपं तु लभते च सः

Transliteration

ācchādanaṃ tu yo dadyādahataṃ śrāddhakarmaṇi | āyuḥ prakāśamaiśvaryaṃ rūpaṃ tu labhate ca saḥ

Translation

Wer im Śrāddha-Ritus ein unbeflecktes, reines Gewand als bedeckende Gabe spendet, erlangt langes Leben, Glanz, Wohlstand und Schönheit.

Word by Word

• आच्छादनम्: a covering/garment
• आच्छादनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आच्छादन (प्रातिपदिक; √छद् (धातु) + आ- उपसर्ग, भाव/करण-निर्माण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; दानवस्तु (object to be given)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; दानक्रिया

• अहतम्: unbeaten/unused (new)
• अहतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहत (प्रातिपदिक; √हन् (धातु) + अ- नञ्/निषेध, कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; आच्छादनम् इति विशेषणम्

• श्राद्धकर्मणि: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्धकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; श्राद्ध + कर्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (श्राद्धस्य कर्म)

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; लभते इति कर्म

• प्रकाशम्: splendour/renown
• प्रकाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; लभते इति कर्म

• ऐश्वर्यम्: prosperity/lordship
• ऐश्वर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; लभते इति कर्म

• रूपम्: beauty/form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; लभते इति कर्म

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विशेषार्थ

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative pronoun)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (śrāddha vastra-dāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: During śrāddha, the donor offers pristine, folded cloth to a seated brāhmaṇa; a subtle aura of light surrounds the donor, hinting at tejas and prosperity gained.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha (rite for Pitṛs)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pure, respectful giving in śrāddha—such as clean clothing—returns as vitality, splendor, prosperity, and beauty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within whose māhātmya the śrāddha gifts and their fruits are detailed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ahata-vastra/ācchādana-dāna: donating clean, unsoiled clothing during śrāddha.