Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

नित्यं नैमित्तिकं काम्यं वृद्धि श्राद्धं सपिण्डकम् । पार्वणं चातिविज्ञानं गोष्ठं शुद्ध्यर्थमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

nityaṃ naimittikaṃ kāmyaṃ vṛddhi śrāddhaṃ sapiṇḍakam | pārvaṇaṃ cātivijñānaṃ goṣṭhaṃ śuddhyarthamuttamam

Translation

Le Śrāddha est décrit ainsi : nitya (quotidien), naimittika (occasionnel), kāmya (motivé par un vœu), vṛddhi-śrāddha, le rite sapiṇḍa, le rite pārvaṇa, le type ‘ativijñāna’, et le goṣṭha-śrāddha — excellent en vue de la purification.

Word by Word

• nityam: the daily (rite)
• nityam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (श्राद्ध-प्रकार-नाम)

• naimittikam: the occasional (rite)
• naimittikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naimittika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (occasion-based)

• kāmyam: the desire-motivated (rite)
• kāmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (desire-motivated)

• vṛddhi: the vṛddhi-śrāddha (prosperity rite)
• vṛddhi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (श्राद्ध-प्रकार-नाम)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• sapiṇḍakam: with piṇḍa offerings
• sapiṇḍakam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-piṇḍaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (piṇḍa-सहित)

• pārvaṇam: the parva (fortnightly) śrāddha
• pārvaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (पर्व-सम्बन्धि श्राद्ध)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ati-vijñānam: special/extraordinary rite/knowledge (ativijñāna)
• ati-vijñānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + vijñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (ati + vijñāna)

• goṣṭham: goṣṭha-type rite
• goṣṭham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: goṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (श्राद्ध-प्रकार-नाम)

• śuddhi-artham: for purification
• śuddhi-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (śuddhyai arthaḥ → śuddhyartham)

• uttamam: excellent/supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa Māhātmya instructional tone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (context continues from prior verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual teacher enumerates eight śrāddha categories. A family sits near a tīrtha platform with darbha grass, piṇḍas, and water vessels; priests guide the sequence for purification.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Nitya
• Naimittika
• Kāmya
• Vṛddhi-śrāddha
• Sapiṇḍa
• Pārvaṇa
• Goṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites are not one-size-fits-all; dharma provides structured forms of śrāddha for regular duty, occasions, wishes, and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is delivered within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, implying these rites gain special sanctity when aligned with Prabhāsa’s sacred context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It enumerates recognized categories of śrāddha (nitya, naimittika, kāmya, vṛddhi, sapiṇḍa, pārvaṇa, etc.), indicating their ritual legitimacy and purificatory purpose.