Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यः कश्चित्कुरुते श्राद्धं पितॄनुद्दिश्य भक्तितः । उद्धरेच्च पितुर्वर्गं मातुर्वर्गं नरोत्तमः

Transliteration

yaḥ kaścitkurute śrāddhaṃ pitṝnuddiśya bhaktitaḥ | uddharecca piturvargaṃ māturvargaṃ narottamaḥ

Translation

Wer immer das Śrāddha in Hingabe vollzieht und es den Pitṛs darbringt, der Beste der Menschen erhebt und erlöst sowohl die väterliche als auch die mütterliche Linie.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine pronoun)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (‘someone/anyone’)

• कुरुते: does; performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• उद्दिश्य: having dedicated (it) to
• उद्दिश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/तुमुन्-समकक्ष-क्त्वान्त-रूप (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having intended/aimed at; addressing’

• भक्तितः: with devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/Manner/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘from/with devotion’)

• उद्धरेत्: should uplift; should deliver
• उद्धरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

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

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• वर्गम्: lineage; group
• वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• वर्गम्: lineage; group
• वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• नरोत्तमः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (‘best of men’)

Speaker

Unspecified (within the Guptaprayāga-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptaprayāga

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank at a hidden sangam, a devotee performs śrāddha: offering piṇḍas, tila and water; brāhmaṇas seated for bhojana; subtle presence of Pitṛs receiving offerings; maternal and paternal ancestral lines symbolically represented.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional śrāddha offered to the Pitṛs is portrayed as a powerful dharmic act that benefits one’s entire ancestral continuum.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Guptaprayāga-māhātmya section of Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing śrāddha—ancestral offerings—specifically dedicated to the Pitṛs, done with bhakti (devotion).