Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यत्र श्राद्धं पृथुः कृत्वा पितरं पापयोनितः उद्दधार महादेवि वेनंनाम महाप्रभुम्

Transliteration

yatra śrāddhaṃ pṛthuḥ kṛtvā pitaraṃ pāpayonitaḥ uddadhāra mahādevi venaṃnāma mahāprabhum

Translation

O große Göttin, dort war es, dass Pṛthu, nachdem er das Śrāddha vollzogen hatte, seinen Vater — den mächtigen Vena — aus einem üblen Schoß (aus einem gefallenen Zustand) emporhob.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय) = indeclinable locative-relative adverb “where”

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

• पृथुः: King Pṛthu
• पृथुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative singular

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (ल्यप्/क्त्वा), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया = gerund/absolutive “having done”

• पितरम्: father/ancestor
• पितरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative singular

• पापयोनितः: from a sinful birth/lineage
• पापयोनितः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-योनि (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + योनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन = Masculine, Ablative singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थः “पापायां योनौ जातः” = “born of sinful womb/lineage”

• उद्दधार: lifted up/rescued
• उद्दधार: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+धृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Perfect, 3rd person singular, active

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देवी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन = Feminine, Vocative singular

• वेनम्: Vena
• वेनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative singular

• नाम: named
• नाम: Visheshana (Appositive qualifier/विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नामार्थक निपात) = indeclinable particle “by name/namely”

• महाप्रभुम्: the great lord/mighty one
• महाप्रभुम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभु (प्रातिपदिक; महा + प्रभु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative singular; विशेषणं वेनम् प्रति = adjective qualifying “Vena”

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goṣpada Tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pṛthu performs śrāddha at Goṣpada; offerings rise as luminous essence toward pitṛs; Vena is shown emerging from a dark, constricted realm into light, signifying release from pāpa-yoni.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthu
• Vena
• Goṣpada tīrtha
• Śrāddha
• Mahādevī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha done with dharma and devotion can uplift ancestors from fallen conditions, emphasizing responsibility to lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Goṣpada tīrtha is implied as the place where Pṛthu’s śrāddha produced extraordinary ancestral benefit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha is highlighted as the key rite capable of benefiting pitṛs profoundly when performed at this tīrtha.