Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

पिण्डदानेन देवेश स्वर्गं गच्छंतु पूर्वजाः । प्रसादात्तव देवेश तीर्थं भवतु मुक्तिदम्

Transliteration

piṇḍadānena deveśa svargaṃ gacchaṃtu pūrvajāḥ | prasādāttava deveśa tīrthaṃ bhavatu muktidam

Translation

O Lord of the gods, by the offering of piṇḍas may the ancestors attain heaven. And by your grace, O Lord of the gods, may this tīrtha become a giver of liberation.

Word by Word

• पिण्ड-दानॆन: by offering piṇḍa (funeral oblation)
• पिण्ड-दानॆन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गच्छन्तु: may (they) go
• गच्छन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors/forefathers
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रसादात्: from (your) grace
• प्रसादात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवतु: may it be/become
• भवतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मुक्ति-दम्: granting liberation
• मुक्ति-दम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा 'to give' से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Candra (contextual continuation of Candra’s prayer)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Deveśa/Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Candra prays to Deva-īśa: through piṇḍa offerings may the forefathers reach heaven; may this tīrtha, by Śiva’s grace, become a giver of liberation; priests prepare piṇḍas on darbha near the water.

Characters & Entities

• Piṇḍadāna
• Pūrvajāḥ (ancestors)
• Svarga
• Muktiprada tīrtha
• Deveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes care for one’s ancestors through piṇḍadāna, while liberation ultimately depends on divine grace and the sanctity of the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same tīrtha in this narrative—later named Prabhāsatīrtha—within the Arbuda section of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍadāna (ancestral offering), implying śrāddha-type rites performed at the tīrtha for the uplift of forefathers.