Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

प्राणत्यागे कृते तत्र शिवलोके च मोदते । तिर्यग्योनिगताः पापा कीटपक्षिमृगादयः

Transliteration

prāṇatyāge kṛte tatra śivaloke ca modate | tiryagyonigatāḥ pāpā kīṭapakṣimṛgādayaḥ

Translation

Wer dort das Leben hingibt, erfreut sich in Śivas Welt. Selbst sündhafte Wesen, die in nichtmenschlichen Geburten erscheinen — Würmer, Vögel, Hirsche und dergleichen — werden durch diesen Ort erhoben.

Word by Word

• प्राणत्यागे: at the time of giving up life
• प्राणत्यागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण-त्याग (प्रातिपदिक; प्राण + त्याग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणानां त्यागः) — Locative: 'in/at the giving up of life'

• कृते: when (it is) done
• कृते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'when done' (agreeing with प्राणत्यागे)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• शिवलोके: in Śiva’s world
• शिवलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-लोक (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य लोकः) — Locative

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

• मोदते: rejoices
• मोदते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: मुद्—'to rejoice'

• तिर्यग्योनिगताः: gone to animal wombs
• तिर्यग्योनिगताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिर्यक्-योनि-गत (प्रातिपदिक; तिर्यक् + योनि + गत)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (गत = √गम् + क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तिर्यग्योनौ गताः)

• पापाः: sinful
• पापाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying beings)

• कीटपक्षिमृगादयः: worms, birds, beasts, and the like
• कीटपक्षिमृगादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीट- पक्षि- मृग-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; कीट + पक्षि + मृग + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (कीटाः च पक्षिणः च मृगाः च) + 'आदि' (etc.)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Śiva-kṣetra (Daśāśvamedhika vicinity)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate tableau: a pilgrim at life’s end on a ghāṭa, Śiva’s light drawing the soul upward; nearby animals (bird, deer) also bathed in sanctifying radiance, indicating uplift.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivaloka
• kīṭa (worms/insects)
• pakṣi (birds)
• mṛga (animals)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s grace is depicted as surpassing ordinary karmic limits, granting elevation even at the end of life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Daśāśvamedha/Aśvamedhika sacred region within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised for granting Śivaloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse speaks of the spiritual consequence of prāṇatyāga (death) in the kṣetra.