Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

विधिवद्दास्यति श्राद्धं स्नात्वा संतर्प्य देवताः । युष्मत्प्रसादतस्तस्य ह्यन्वयेऽपि कदाचन । मा भूयात्प्रेतभावो हि अपि पापान्वितस्य भोः

Transliteration

vidhivaddāsyati śrāddhaṃ snātvā saṃtarpya devatāḥ | yuṣmatprasādatastasya hyanvaye'pi kadācana | mā bhūyātpretabhāvo hi api pāpānvitasya bhoḥ

Translation

„…nachdem er gebadet und die Gottheiten ordnungsgemäß gesättigt hat, wird er das Śrāddha nach Vorschrift darbringen. Durch eure Gnade möge für ihn—ja selbst für seine Linie—niemals der Zustand entstehen, ein Preta zu werden, auch wenn einer von Sünde befleckt ist, o Herr.“

Word by Word

• vidhivat: according to proper rite
• vidhivat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner): "विधिना" = according to rule

• dāsyati: will give
• dāsyati: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धाातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite (funeral offering)
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• saṃtarpya: having satisfied (offered oblations to)
• saṃtarpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (धातु) + sam- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); causative sense in usage: "तर्पयित्वा"

• devatāḥ: the deities
• devatāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• yuṣmat-prasādataḥ: by your grace
• yuṣmat-prasādataḥ: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास: "युष्मतां प्रसादः"; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (ablatival): "-तः" = from/by

• tasya: of him / his
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (निपात)
• Form: निपात; अवधान/हेतौ (emphatic/indeed)

• anvaye: in the lineage
• anvaye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (निपात)
• Form: निपात; अपि = even/also

• kadācana: at any time (ever)
• kadācana: Kāla (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācana (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय; नकारेण सह = "कदाचन" = ever/at any time

• mā: may not / do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (निषेध-निपात)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात; विधिलिङ्/लोट् आदि सह निषेध (prohibitive)

• bhūyāt: may become / may occur
• bhūyāt: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• preta-bhāvaḥ: state of being a preta (ghost)
• preta-bhāvaḥ: Karta/Subject (of bhūyāt)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: "प्रेतस्य भावः"; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (निपात)
• Form: निपात; अवधानार्थ (indeed)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (निपात)
• Form: निपात; अपि = even

• pāpa-anvitasya: of one tainted with sin
• pāpa-anvitasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √i/anu-?; "युक्त")
• Form: तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे कर्मधारयवत्: "पापेन अन्वितः"; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (of one who is accompanied by sin)

• bhoḥ: O (sir)!
• bhoḥ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhoḥ (सम्बोधन-निपात)
• Form: सम्बोधनार्थक निपात (vocative interjection)

Speaker

Gautama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A complete śrāddha scene: after bathing, the performer offers water and piṇḍas, while deities are symbolically ‘satisfied’ through offerings; a protective aura extends over a family tree motif, while preta-shadows dissolve.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Devatāḥ
• Pitṛs (implicit via śrāddha)
• Preta(s)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual performed with proper method and devotion at a tīrtha yields multi-generational welfare, removing fear of preta-state and its suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s sacred spot that becomes associated with Pretatīrtha and ancestral deliverance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha, devatā-tarpaṇa (satisfying deities), and vidhivat-śrāddha (rule-based śrāddha).