Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

शिवपूजा कृता पश्चात्संस्मृत्य पितृभाषितम् । दत्त्वा पिंडोदकं सम्यक्पितॄणां विधिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

śivapūjā kṛtā paścātsaṃsmṛtya pitṛbhāṣitam | dattvā piṃḍodakaṃ samyakpitṝṇāṃ vidhipūrvakam

Translation

After performing worship of Śiva, recalling what the forefathers had instructed, he properly offered piṇḍa and water to the Pitṛs in accordance with the rite.

Word by Word

• शिवपूजा: worship of Śiva
• शिवपूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य पूजा)

• कृता: was done / performed
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे—‘(पूजा) कृताऽभवत्’

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• संस्मृत्य: having remembered
• संस्मृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्मृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया—‘संस्मृत्वा’

• पितृभाषितम्: what was spoken by the ancestors/fathers
• पितृभाषितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + भाषित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां भाषितम्)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• पिंडोदकं: piṇḍa and water (funeral offering)
• पिंडोदकं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पिण्डश्च उदकं च) समाहारार्थे

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors/fathers
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• विधिपूर्वकम्: according to rule / duly
• विधिपूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (pitṛ-kriyā within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) in the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim completes Śiva worship—offering bilva and water—then turns to a pitṛ-śrāddha spot, shaping piṇḍas and pouring water with darbha, mindful of ancestral instructions.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to God and gratitude to ancestors are complementary duties; both should be completed with correct ritual care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārakā tīrtha-setting of the chapter (Gomatī/Cakratīrtha context) where such rites are performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-pūjā followed by proper Pitṛ offerings—piṇḍa and water (piṇḍodaka)—performed vidhi-pūrvaka.