Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

लोके श्रेष्ठतमं सर्वं ह्यात्मनश्चापि यत्प्रियम् । सर्वं पितॄणां दातव्यं तदेवाक्षय्यमिच्छताम्

Transliteration

loke śreṣṭhatamaṃ sarvaṃ hyātmanaścāpi yatpriyam | sarvaṃ pitṝṇāṃ dātavyaṃ tadevākṣayyamicchatām

Translation

Tout ce que ce monde tient pour le plus excellent—et tout ce qui est le plus cher à son propre cœur—doit être offert pour les Pitṛ (ancêtres). Pour qui recherche un mérite impérissable, cette offrande même devient inépuisable.

Word by Word

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठतमम्: the best
• श्रेष्ठतमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; अतिशयवाचक (superlative)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणार्थक निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipāta (Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक (also/even)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object; correlates with तत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• प्रियम्: dear/pleasing
• प्रियम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with यत्)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object of implied ‘to be given’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: to the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sampradāna (Recipient; expressed as genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Kriyā (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विधेयार्थ—“कर्तव्यम्/देयम्”

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object; resumptive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; तद्-सम्बन्ध (correlative to यत्)

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक

• अक्षय्यम्: imperishable
• अक्षय्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with तत्)

• इच्छताम्: of those who desire
• इच्छताम्: Sambandha (Genitive of agent/possessor)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग?—प्रयोगे षष्ठी बहुवचन (Genitive plural) ‘इच्छताम्’ = “of those who desire”

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narration style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (śrāddha-dāna context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder at Prabhāsa offers his finest possessions—gleaming vessels, fine cloth, abundant food—before brāhmaṇas representing pitṛs; the act is marked by heartfelt relinquishment.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offer what is best and personally cherished for the Pitṛs; such śrāddha-gifts yield akṣaya (inexhaustible) merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya) is the setting where śrāddha and pitṛ-sevā are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable offering) dedicated to the Pitṛs—especially of one’s best possessions—aimed at akṣaya-puṇya.