Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तर्पणात्पिंडदानाच्च नरकेष्वपि संस्थिताः । स्वर्गं प्रयांति पितरः सुपुत्रेण हि तारिताः

Transliteration

tarpaṇātpiṃḍadānācca narakeṣvapi saṃsthitāḥ | svargaṃ prayāṃti pitaraḥ suputreṇa hi tāritāḥ

Translation

Par le tarpaṇa et l’offrande de piṇḍa, les ancêtres—même s’ils demeurent en des états infernaux—vont au ciel, car un fils vertueux les délivre véritablement.

Word by Word

• तर्पणात्: from (the act of) libation/oblations
• तर्पणात्: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादान (neuter, ablative singular)

• पिण्डदानात्: from offering funeral rice-balls
• पिण्डदानात्: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभावः ‘पिण्डस्य दानम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ (neuter, ablative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नरकेषु: in hells
• नरकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; अधिकरण (masculine, locative plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• संस्थिताः: situated, dwelling
• संस्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘पितरः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (masculine, nominative plural)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (masculine, accusative singular)

• प्रयान्ति: go forth, attain
• प्रयान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (present, 3rd person plural)

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्ता (masculine, nominative plural)

• सुपुत्रेण: by a good son
• सुपुत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृकरण (masculine, instrumental singular)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तारिताः: delivered, rescued
• तारिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तॄ (धातु) → तारित (णिच् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (causative past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘पितरः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (masculine, nominative plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (pitṛ-kārya sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a river/sea-edge ghat, a son performs tarpaṇa with cupped hands and offers piṇḍas on darbha; faintly, ancestors rise from a dark realm toward a bright heavenly path.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Tarpaṇa
• Piṇḍadāna
• Svarga
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Filial dharma expressed through pitṛ-rites has salvific power, capable of uplifting ancestors from severe conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the tīrtha-praise in Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, implying special potency of pitṛ-rites at Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa (water-libations) and piṇḍadāna (funerary offerings) for ancestors.