Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

शिवरात्र्यां विशेषेण पिंडदानादिकां क्रियाम् । कुर्याच्छस्त्रहतानां च पापिनां तत्र मुक्तये

Transliteration

śivarātryāṃ viśeṣeṇa piṃḍadānādikāṃ kriyām | kuryācchastrahatānāṃ ca pāpināṃ tatra muktaye

Translation

Surtout à Śivarātri, qu’on accomplisse en ce lieu des rites tels que l’offrande de piṇḍa et autres actes sacrés, pour la délivrance de ceux qui furent tués par les armes et des pécheurs.

Word by Word

• शिवरात्र्यां: on Śivarātri
• शिवरात्र्यां: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivarātrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (instrumental used adverbially: “especially”)

• पिण्डदानादिकाम्: such as piṇḍa-offering
• पिण्डदानादिकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: piṇḍa + dāna + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थ (piṇḍa-dāna-ādikā = “such as piṇḍa-offering”) क्रियाम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• क्रियाम्: rite, act
• क्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शस्त्रहतानाम्: of those slain by weapons
• शस्त्रहतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śastra + hata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (śastra-hata = “killed by weapon”)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पापिनाम्: of sinners
• पापिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय

• मुक्तये: for liberation
• मुक्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī) and by extension the audience of the māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa by the sea, pilgrims on Śivarātri offer piṇḍas and tarpaṇa near a sacred kuṇḍa/ghāṭa; lamps flicker, brāhmaṇas chant, and the mood is solemn—seeking release for the weapon-slain and sinners.

Characters & Entities

• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate ritual action for the dead—performed at a potent tīrtha and time—supports upliftment and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ refers to the Kuṇḍalasaṃbhava/Brahmakuṇḍa vicinity within Prabhāsa Kṣetra (from the immediate context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri observance with piṇḍa-dāna and allied śrāddha-style rites for the departed, including those who died violently.