Previous Verse
Next Verse

Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

आकाशे प्रक्षिपेद्वापि स्थितो वा दक्षिणामुखः । पितॄणां स्थानमाकाशं दक्षिणा चैव दिक्तथा

ākāśe prakṣipedvāpi sthito vā dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ | pitṝṇāṃ sthānamākāśaṃ dakṣiṇā caiva diktathā

On peut aussi jeter (l’offrande) dans le ciel, ou le faire debout, tourné vers le sud. Pour les Pitṛs, le ciel est leur demeure, et la direction du sud est pareillement (leur quartier).

ākāśein the sky
ākāśe:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootākāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (loc. sg.)
prakṣipetshould throw, should cast
prakṣipet:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra√kṣip (क्षिप् धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)
or
:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (विकल्पार्थक particle)
apialso, even
api:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-कारक particle)
sthitaḥstanding, situated
sthitaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Root√sthā (स्था धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त)
Formक्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)
or
:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (विकल्पार्थक particle)
dakṣiṇāmukhaḥsouth-facing
dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootdakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास (‘दक्षिणं मुखं यस्य/दक्षिणं मुखम्’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)
pitṝṇāmof the ancestors (pitṛs)
pitṝṇām:
Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootpitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)
sthānamplace, abode
sthānam:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom./acc. sg.; here predicate nominative)
ākāśamthe sky
ākāśam:
Pradhana-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
TypeNoun
Rootākāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom./acc. sg.; here predicate complement)
dakṣiṇāthe southern (direction)
dakṣiṇā:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक conjunction)
evaindeed, only
eva:
Kriya-visheshana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण particle)
dikdirection
dik:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdiś (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.; form = dik)
tathāthus, likewise
tathā:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa facing south; with cupped hands he casts libations upward into the open sky, invoking Pitṛs; the sea-breeze and tīrtha ambience frame the rite.

P
Pitṛs
Ā
Ākāśa (sky)
D
Dakṣiṇā diś (southern direction)

FAQs

Śrāddha is guided by sacred directions and cosmology: offerings align with the Pitṛs’ quarter, integrating ritual with cosmic order.

Prabhāsakṣetra, where ancestral rites are taught with precise directional and cosmological rationale.

Make the offering while facing south, and/or cast it upward; the sky and the southern direction are identified as Pitṛ-associated loci.