Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तत्र दानं प्रशंसंति नीवाराणां महर्षयः । शाकमूलादिभिः श्राद्धं पितॄणां तुष्टिदं नृप

Transliteration

tatra dānaṃ praśaṃsaṃti nīvārāṇāṃ maharṣayaḥ | śākamūlādibhiḥ śrāddhaṃ pitṝṇāṃ tuṣṭidaṃ nṛpa

Translation

There, the great sages praise the gift of wild rice (nīvāra). And śrāddha performed with vegetables, roots, and the like becomes pleasing to the Pitṛs, O king.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रशंसन्ति: praise
• प्रशंसन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• नीवाराणाम्: of wild rice grains
• नीवाराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; दानस्य विशेषणार्थे (of wild rice)

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शाकमूलादिभिः: with vegetables, roots, etc.
• शाकमूलादिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक + मूल + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (शाकं च मूलं च तेषाम् आदि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (कर्म) (praised object)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• तुष्टिदम्: giving satisfaction
• तुष्टिदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्टि + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (तुष्टिं ददाति इति), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying श्राद्धम्)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māmuhrada (implied by immediate context)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yayāti (addressed as nṛpa/king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-hermitage near a sacred pond: sages commend a humble gift of wild rice; a householder-king listens as śrāddha is performed with vegetables and roots, with pitṛs envisioned as subtly satisfied.

Characters & Entities

• Maharṣis
• Nīvāra (wild rice)
• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simplicity and purity in offering—humble grains and plant-based foods—are honored as effective and pleasing in Pitṛ-rites at sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māmuhṛda Tīrtha, where specific dāna and śrāddha offerings are recommended.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of nīvāra (wild rice) and śrāddha using śāka (vegetables), mūla (roots), and similar offerings for Pitṛ satisfaction.