Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

पिण्डदानात्परां प्रीतिं लभंतां पितरोऽत्र हि

Transliteration

piṇḍadānātparāṃ prītiṃ labhaṃtāṃ pitaro'tra hi

Translation

നിശ്ചയമായും ഇവിടെ പിണ്ഡദാനം ചെയ്താൽ പിതൃകൾ പരമ പ്രീതിയും തൃപ്തിയും പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पिण्डदानात्: from the offering of funeral rice-balls
• पिण्डदानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पिण्डस्य दानम्’)

• पराम्: supreme, great
• पराम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रीतिम् इत्यस्य)

• प्रीतिम्: delight, satisfaction
• प्रीतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लभन्ताम्: may (they) obtain
• लभन्ताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

Speaker

Indra (contextual tīrtha-phala statement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māmuhrada

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performs piṇḍadāna on the bank of a sacred lake; subtle ancestral forms receive offerings with serene satisfaction; priests assist with kuśa and water vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Piṇḍadāna
• Māmuhrada (implied place)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma upholds gratitude to ancestors; tīrtha-based offerings are presented as powerful acts of filial duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māmuhrada Tīrtha (the ‘hrada’ being discussed) is implied as the place where piṇḍadāna yields special merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍadāna (a śrāddha-related offering to the pitṛs) is recommended here for generating great ancestral satisfaction.