Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तेऽपि यांति परं स्थानं यत्र देवो महेश्वरः । तिलोदकप्रदानेन मातृकाः पैतृकास्तथा

Transliteration

te'pi yāṃti paraṃ sthānaṃ yatra devo maheśvaraḥ | tilodakapradānena mātṛkāḥ paitṛkāstathā

Translation

Auch sie gelangen zur höchsten Wohnstatt, wo der Herr Maheśvara (Śiva) weilt. Und durch die Darbringung von Sesamwasser (tilodaka) werden ebenso die Ahnen mütterlicher wie väterlicher Linie begünstigt.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √या—'to go'

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying स्थानम्)

• स्थानम्: abode/place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Mahēśvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• तिलोदकप्रदानेन: by the offering of sesame-water
• तिलोदकप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल-उदक-प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक; तिल + उदक + प्रदान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तिलेन उदकेन वा/तिलोदकेन प्रदानम्) — Instrumental: 'by/through offering sesame-water'

• मातृकाः: the mothers (maternal ancestors)
• मातृकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पैतृकाः: paternal (ancestral)
• पैतृकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक; पितृ-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying implied 'पितरः' or a class of ancestors)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/likewise)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa tīrtha (tilodaka-pradāna-sthāna)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the water’s edge offers tilodaka (sesame-water) with cupped hands; subtle ancestral figures receive it; above, Maheśvara’s abode is hinted as a luminous realm.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Ancestors (pitṛs)
• tilodaka (sesame-water offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to ancestors (pitṛ-tarpaṇa) performed in a holy Śiva-kṣetra becomes a powerful act of dharma with far-reaching benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa Śiva-kṣetra connected with the Aśvamedha/Daśāśvamedha tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tilodaka-pradāna—offering sesame and water as tarpaṇa for maternal and paternal lines.