Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

इष्टश्राद्धे क्रतुर्दक्षो वृद्धौ सत्यवसू स्मृतौ । नैमित्तिके कालकामौ काम्ये चाध्वविरोचनौ

Transliteration

iṣṭaśrāddhe kraturdakṣo vṛddhau satyavasū smṛtau | naimittike kālakāmau kāmye cādhvavirocanau

Translation

Pour l’iṣṭa-śrāddha, on se souvient de Kratu et de Dakṣa comme présidant à la réception. Pour le vṛddhi-śrāddha, on rappelle Satyavasu. Pour le naimittika-śrāddha, on invoque Kāla et Kāma. Et pour le kāmya-śrāddha, on invoque Adhva et Virocana.

Word by Word

• इष्टश्राद्धे: in the optional/desired śrāddha
• इष्टश्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (इष्टं श्राद्धम्)

• क्रतुः: Kratu (name)
• क्रतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दक्षः: Dakṣa (name)
• दक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृद्धौ: in (the rite called) Vṛddhi
• वृद्धौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सत्यवसू: Satyavasus (two beings/names)
• सत्यवसू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यवसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual)

• स्मृतौ: in (the rite called) Smṛti
• स्मृतौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नैमित्तिके: in the occasional (naimittika) rite
• नैमित्तिके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कालकामौ: Kāla and Kāma (two names)
• कालकामौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• काम्ये: in the desire-motivated (kāmya) rite
• काम्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अध्वविरोचनौ: Adhva and Virocana (two names)
• अध्वविरोचनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वविरोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned priest instructs a pilgrim with a palm-leaf manual: four panels show four śrāddha types, each with a symbolic pair/single presiding figure-name inscribed—Kratu/Dakṣa, Satyavasu, Kāla/Kāma, Adhva/Virocana—over offerings of piṇḍa and water.

Characters & Entities

• Kratu
• Dakṣa
• Satyavasu
• Kāla
• Kāma
• Adhva
• Virocana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts become focused and fruitful when performed according to the appropriate classification and prescribed invocations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where śrāddha and allied rites are taught with detailed authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Different śrāddha-types have distinct presiding invocations: Kratu–Dakṣa (iṣṭa), Satyavasu (vṛddhi), Kāla–Kāma (naimittika), and Adhva–Virocana (kāmya).