Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

अत्र मातुः पृथक्छ्राद्धमन्यत्र पतिना सह । वृद्धिश्राद्धे तु मात्रादि गयायां पितृपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

atra mātuḥ pṛthakchrāddhamanyatra patinā saha | vṛddhiśrāddhe tu mātrādi gayāyāṃ pitṛpūrvakam

Translation

Hier wird das śrāddha für die Mutter getrennt vollzogen; anderswo geschieht es zusammen mit dem Ehemann. Doch beim vṛddhi-śrāddha ist es angemessen, mit der Mutter und den mütterlichen Verwandten zu beginnen; in Gayā hingegen geht man zuerst nach der väterlichen Linie vor.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: “here”)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: separately)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd; contextually object), एकवचन

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (elsewhere)

• पतिना: with the husband
• पतिना: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सहार्थक निपात/उपसर्गसदृश (particle: with)

• वृद्धिश्राद्धे: in the vṛddhi-śrāddha (prosperity śrāddha)
• वृद्धिश्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddhi-śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक; समास: वृद्धि + श्राद्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vṛddheḥ śrāddham)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (सम्बोधन/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• मात्रादि: mother and others (etc.)
• मात्रादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ-ādi (प्रातिपदिक; समास: मातृ + आदि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आदि’ (etc.)-युक्त समाहारद्योतक

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पितृपूर्वकम्: preceded by (offerings to) the fathers first
• पितृपूर्वकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pitṛ-pūrvaka (प्रातिपदिक; समास: पितृ + पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the rite: ‘with fathers first/preceded by fathers’)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptagayā/Goṣpada at Prabhāsa; Gayā referenced

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual teacher explains śrāddha ordering to a householder couple at a Prabhāsa riverbank: separate plates for maternal rites; a second vignette hints at Gayā where paternal line offerings are prioritized.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Gayā
• Mother (mātṛ)
• Father-line (pitṛ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma preserves nuanced ritual etiquette—honoring both maternal and paternal lines with context-sensitive order and propriety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s setting is Goṣpada Tīrtha in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, with Gayā cited as a benchmark for pitṛ rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rules about whether the mother’s śrāddha is separate or conjoint, and the ordering in vṛddhi-śrāddha (maternal-first) versus Gayā (paternal-first).