Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

नर्मदादिषु तीर्थेषु कुर्याच्छ्राद्धं नरो यदि । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः पितरो यांति सद्गतिम्

Transliteration

narmadādiṣu tīrtheṣu kuryācchrāddhaṃ naro yadi | sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ pitaro yāṃti sadgatim

Translation

Si un homme accomplit le śrāddha dans des tīrtha sacrés tels que la Narmadā, il est délivré de tous les péchés, et les ancêtres atteignent la sadgati, la voie bienheureuse.

Word by Word

• नर्मदादिषु: in (places) such as the Narmadā
• नर्मदादिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (आदि-शब्दः), सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; अधिकरण; अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः अर्थः ‘नर्मदादिषु’ (नर्मदा-आदिषु)

• तीर्थेषु: at sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; अधिकरण

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक-समुच्चय/निपात (conditional particle)

• सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः: freed from all sins
• सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पाप-विनिर्मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + पाप + विनिर्मुक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (नरस्य); कृदन्ताधारित-विशेषण (विनिर्मुक्त = मुच्-धातोः क्त)

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

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सद्गतिम्: a good state/destination
• सद्गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्-गति (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + गति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; कर्मधारय (सत् एव गतिः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīrtha (and allied tīrthas)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Narmadā ghāṭa, a devotee performs śrāddha with priest; ancestors are depicted subtly as luminous figures receiving offerings; the river glows as purifier; sense of release and blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-based śrāddha purifies the performer and uplifts the ancestors—personal and transgenerational dharma together.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā and other comparable tīrthas (narmadādi-tīrthas).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at river tīrthas like the Narmadā for sin-removal and the ancestors’ sadgati.