Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

छत्रं तत्र प्रदातव्यं ब्राह्मणे शुभलक्षणे । शस्त्रेण तु हता ये वै तेषां श्राद्धं प्रदापयेत् । ते यान्ति परमं लोकं पिण्डदानप्रभावतः

Transliteration

chatraṃ tatra pradātavyaṃ brāhmaṇe śubhalakṣaṇe | śastreṇa tu hatā ye vai teṣāṃ śrāddhaṃ pradāpayet | te yānti paramaṃ lokaṃ piṇḍadānaprabhāvataḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ശുഭലക്ഷണമുള്ള ബ്രാഹ്മണന് കുട (ഛത്രം) ദാനം ചെയ്യണം. ആയുധങ്ങളാൽ കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടവർക്കായി ശ്രാദ്ധം നടത്തിക്കൊടുക്കണം; പിണ്ഡദാനത്തിന്റെ പ്രഭാവത്തിൽ അവർ പരമലോകം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• chatram: an umbrella
• chatram: Karma (Object to be given/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case); एकवचनम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• pradātavyam: should be given
• pradātavyam: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (दा धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत् (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case); एकवचनम्; विधेय (to be given)

• brāhmaṇe: to a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇe: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th case); एकवचनम्

• śubha-lakṣaṇe: of auspicious marks
• śubha-lakṣaṇe: Sampradana (Recipient-qualifier/सम्प्रदान-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (शुभ) + lakṣaṇa (लक्षण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th case); एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समास (शुभं लक्षणं यस्य)

• śastreṇa: by a weapon
• śastreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd case); एकवचनम्

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• hatāḥ: killed
• hatāḥ: Karta (Subject of relative clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (हन् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case); बहुवचनम्

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case); बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th case); बहुवचनम्

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case); एकवचनम्

• pradāpayet: should have (it) performed/given
• pradāpayet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (दा धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; णिजन्त (causative: cause to be given/performed)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case); बहुवचनम्

• yānti: go
• yānti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुषः; बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Karma (Goal-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case); एकवचनम्; लोकम् इति विशेषणम्

• lokam: world
• lokam: Karma (Gati-goal/गत्यर्थक-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case); एकवचनम्

• piṇḍa-dāna-prabhāvataḥ: due to the power of offering rice-balls
• piṇḍa-dāna-prabhāvataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (पिण्ड) + dāna (दान) + prabhāva (प्रभाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th case); एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समास (पिण्डदानस्य प्रभावः; तस्मात्)

Speaker

Narrator (within Revā Khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārada-pratiṣṭhita Śūlin-tīrtha (unnamed)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene at the tīrtha: a worthy brāhmaṇa receives a ceremonial umbrella; nearby, śrāddha is performed with piṇḍas offered for those slain by weapons, with solemn participants and river as witness.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Śrāddha
• Piṇḍadāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and properly performed śrāddha at a sacred place uplift both the living and the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha established in this chapter, where dāna and śrāddha gain special efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Chatra-dāna to a worthy Brāhmaṇa and śrāddha with piṇḍa-offerings for the departed, especially those killed by weapons.