Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

स्वाहाकारस्वधाकारैर्यजंति पितृदेवताः । निःक्षुधः कुरुते यस्माद्गर्भौषधिसुधाऽमृतैः

Transliteration

svāhākārasvadhākārairyajaṃti pitṛdevatāḥ | niḥkṣudhaḥ kurute yasmādgarbhauṣadhisudhā'mṛtaiḥ

Translation

Les divinités Pitṛ sont honorées par les paroles ‘svāhā’ et ‘svadhā’. Et parce qu’elle délivre les êtres de la faim par les herbes de son sein, le nectar et une nourriture semblable à l’amṛta, elle est vénérée comme celle qui écarte famine et dénuement.

Word by Word

• स्वाहाकारस्वधाकारैः: with the utterances ‘svāhā’ and ‘svadhā’
• स्वाहाकारस्वधाकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाहा-कार (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वधा-कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—स्वाहाकारश्च स्वधाकारश्च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• यजन्ति: worship/sacrifice
• यजन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितृदेवताः: the Pitṛ-deities (ancestral deities)
• पितृदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—पितॄणां देवताः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• निःक्षुधः: free from hunger
• निःक्षुधः: Karma-pradhana predicate (object-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःक्षुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कुरुते: makes (someone)
• कुरुते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यस्मात्: because of which
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; हेत्वर्थे (because of which)

• गर्भौषधिसुधा: embryo, herbs, and nectar
• गर्भौषधिसुधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + औषधि (प्रातिपदिक) + सुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—गर्भश्च औषधिश्च सुधा च (समाहार-द्वन्द्व/बहुपद)

• अमृतैः: with ambrosias/immortal essences
• अमृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced for Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene where offerings are made with ‘svāhā’ into fire and ‘svadhā’ with water/til for ancestors; Earth as a maternal figure holding herbs and a pot of nectar-like sustenance, symbolizing freedom from hunger.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛ-devatāḥ
• Svāhā
• Svadhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained through proper ritual speech and gratitude to the ancestors; sacred utterances and offerings uphold cosmic nourishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of ‘svāhā’ in deva-offerings and ‘svadhā’ in Pitṛ rites (śrāddha/tarpaṇa) as the correct Vedic form of worship.