Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

उद्धृतेष्वपि पिण्डेषु याश्चान्नकणिका भुवि । ताभिराप्यायनं तेषां तिर्यक्त्वं च कुले गताः

Transliteration

uddhṛteṣvapi piṇḍeṣu yāścānnakaṇikā bhuvi | tābhirāpyāyanaṃ teṣāṃ tiryaktvaṃ ca kule gatāḥ

Translation

Même lorsque les piṇḍas ont été retirés, les grains et menues miettes restés sur le sol : par eux aussi sont nourris les défunts tombés dans une naissance animale au sein de la lignée.

Word by Word

• उद्धृतेषु: in (the) lifted/removed
• उद्धृतेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्धृत (प्रातिपदिक; उद्-√हृ (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पिण्डेषु)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-अर्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• पिण्डेषु: in the rice-balls (piṇḍas)
• पिण्डेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• याः: which (those)
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकं सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्नकणिकाः: grains/particles of food
• अन्नकणिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न-कणिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• भुवि: on the earth
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ताभिः: by those
• ताभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• आप्यायनम्: nourishment/satiation
• आप्यायनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप्यायन (प्रातिपदिक; √प्याय् (धातु) भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तिर्यक्त्वम्: animality (state of being an animal)
• तिर्यक्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; तिर्यक् + -त्व तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुले: in a family/lineage
• कुले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• गताः: having gone/entered
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied disciple/son addressed in the sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After piṇḍa offerings are lifted, tiny grains remain on the earth; unseen animal-form ancestors (tiryak-gati) are shown being nourished by those grains, suggesting compassion reaching the lowest states.

Characters & Entities

• Piṇḍa
• Pitṛ
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No part of a sincere offering is wasted; even leftover grains can benefit ancestors, regardless of their post-death state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, a major tīrtha praised in the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha with piṇḍa offerings; it highlights the merit of even minute food remnants associated with the rite.