Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रेता यान्तु परे लोके तीर्थस्यास्य प्रभावतः । पापं मे प्रशमं यातु एतु वृद्धिं शुभं सदा

Transliteration

pretā yāntu pare loke tīrthasyāsya prabhāvataḥ | pāpaṃ me praśamaṃ yātu etu vṛddhiṃ śubhaṃ sadā

Translation

“By the power of this sacred tīrtha, may the departed go to the higher world. May my sin be pacified, and may auspicious prosperity ever increase.”

Word by Word

• प्रेताः: the departed spirits
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यान्तु: may they go
• यान्तु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• परे: in the other
• परे: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘लोके’ इति विशेषणम्

• लोके: world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थस्य: of the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभावतः: by (its) power
• प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), हेत्वर्थक (by reason of/through the power of)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रशमम्: cessation/quieting
• प्रशमम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + शम् (धातु) → प्रशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यातु: may it go/attain
• यातु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एतु: may it come
• एतु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• वृद्धिम्: increase/prosperity
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘वृद्धिम्’ इति विशेषणम् (adjectival usage)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-बोधक अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Vyāsa (teaching the śrāddha-mantra to Yudhiṣṭhira) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (the referenced ford)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn prayer at the river: the yajamāna stands or kneels at the water’s edge with añjali, offerings on darbha nearby; faint, symbolic ascent of departed souls toward a luminous upper realm; the river glows as the mediating ‘tīrtha’.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Pretas (departed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas amplify the fruit of ancestral rites—benefiting the departed and purifying the performer.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha within the Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape (Revā Khaṇḍa context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A spoken prayer/mantra during śrāddha seeking upliftment of the departed, removal of sin, and growth of auspiciousness.