Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं संपश्यते श्वा चेन्नारी चैव रजस्वला । अन्त्यजः शूकरश्चान्नं तदस्माकं तु भोजनम्

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ saṃpaśyate śvā cennārī caiva rajasvalā | antyajaḥ śūkaraścānnaṃ tadasmākaṃ tu bhojanam

Translation

Si un chien voit le śrāddha, ou si une femme en période de menstruation, un antyaja (hors-caste) ou un porc se présente à la vue de la nourriture, alors cette nourriture devient, en vérité, le repas des pretas.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite/food offering
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सम्पश्यते: sees/looks at
• सम्पश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• श्वा: a dog
• श्वा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (indeed)

• रजस्वला: menstruating
• रजस्वला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस्वला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नारी)

• अन्त्यजः: an outcaste
• अन्त्यजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त्यज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शूकरः: a pig/boar
• शूकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वय/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय

• भोजनम्: food/meal
• भोजनम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Pretāḥ

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Householders and officiants performing śrāddha in Prabhāsa context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setup with piṇḍas and offerings; a dog peers in, and other inauspicious intrusions are symbolically shown; pretas seize the subtle essence while the officiant reacts with alarm.

Characters & Entities

• Pretāḥ
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha demands careful protection of the offering space; negligence diverts the intended merit away from the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within whose māhātmya these śrāddha disciplines are taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guard śrāddha food and the rite from disruptive/impure intrusion or visibility; maintain a controlled, sanctified setting for offerings.