Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

स्वकर्मभिः कुलांगार दिवं प्राप्ता यथार्हतः । कुपुत्रं त्वां समासाद्य नरकं समुपस्थिताः । तस्मादुद्धर नः सर्वान्कृत्वा किंचिच्छुभार्चनम्

Transliteration

svakarmabhiḥ kulāṃgāra divaṃ prāptā yathārhataḥ | kuputraṃ tvāṃ samāsādya narakaṃ samupasthitāḥ | tasmāduddhara naḥ sarvānkṛtvā kiṃcicchubhārcanam

Translation

«Ô braise de notre lignée ! Par nos propres actes nous avions atteint le ciel, comme il convenait. Mais t’ayant obtenu pour fils mauvais, nous sommes à présent tombés en enfer. Aussi, délivre-nous tous en accomplissant ne serait-ce qu’un peu de culte propice.»

Word by Word

• sva-karmabhiḥ: by (our) own deeds
• sva-karmabhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (कर्मन्), तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वानि कर्माणि)

• kulāṃgāra: O disgrace of the family
• kulāṃgāra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कुलस्य अङ्गारः—‘scorch of the family’)

• divam: heaven
• divam: Karma (Goal/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prāptāḥ: (we) have attained
• prāptāḥ: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + āp (धातु) → prāpta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past participle) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having attained’

• yathā-arhataḥ: as was deserved
• yathā-arhataḥ: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + arhataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समूह: यथā (according as) + अर्हतः (as deserved, properly)

• kuputram: a wicked son
• kuputram: Karma (Object in apposition to tvām/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ku + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘bad son’ (upasarga/particle ku-)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• samāsādya: having met/approached
• samāsādya: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam + ā + sad (धातु) → samāsādya (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund): ‘having approached/encountered’

• narakam: hell
• narakam: Karma (Goal/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• samupasthitāḥ: have come (to)
• samupasthitāḥ: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + upa + sthā (धातु) → upasthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past participle) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘have come/arrived’

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Sambandha (Cause/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival: therefore/from that)

• uddhara: rescue, lift up
• uddhara: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud + hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• naḥ: us
• naḥ: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (genitive/dative) बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic): ‘of us/to us’

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘us’)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛtvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund): ‘having done’

• kiṃcit: something, a little
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim + cit (सर्वनाम + चित्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-परिमाण (something/a little)

• śubha-arcanam: auspicious worship
• śubha-arcanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (शुभं अर्चनम्)

Speaker

Pitaraḥ (ancestors), addressing the king/descendant

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king/descendant

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pitṛs, distressed yet dignified, admonish the king as ‘kula-aṅgāra’; behind them loom shadowy hell-visions, while a faint temple-lamp glow suggests the possibility of rescue through worship.

Characters & Entities

• Pitaraḥ (ancestors)
• Rājā (king/descendant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A descendant’s conduct affects family welfare; even small acts of auspicious worship can be undertaken with the intent of relieving ancestral suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse itself emphasizes pitṛ-uplift through worship; the broader context is Arbuda Khaṇḍa within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (sacred geography themes continue around Arbuda/Prabhāsa regions).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing “kiṃcid śubhārcanam”—some auspicious worship (arcana), implying devotional rites done for merit and ancestral benefit.