Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

विमुक्ताः पितरो रौद्रान्नरकात्सुप्रहर्षिताः । ततो दिव्यविमानस्था दिव्यमाल्यांबरान्विताः

Transliteration

vimuktāḥ pitaro raudrānnarakātsupraharṣitāḥ | tato divyavimānasthā divyamālyāṃbarānvitāḥ

Translation

അവന്റെ പിതാക്കന്മാർ ഭീകര നരകങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തരായി അത്യന്തം ആനന്ദിച്ചു; തുടർന്ന് ദിവ്യവിമാനങ്ങളിൽ ഇരുന്ന് ദിവ്യമാലകളും വസ്ത്രങ്ങളും ധരിച്ചു പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• विमुक्ताः: freed; released
• विमुक्ताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मुच्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘पितरः’)

• पितरः: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रौद्रात्: from the dreadful
• रौद्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• नरकात्: from hell
• नरकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• सुप्रहर्षिताः: greatly delighted
• सुप्रहर्षिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-प्रहर्षित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सु + √हृष्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग/उपपद ‘सु-’; विशेषण (qualifying ‘पितरः’)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (thereupon)

• दिव्यविमानस्थाः: standing in a divine aerial car
• दिव्यविमानस्थाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य-विमान-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; दिव्य + विमान + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘दिव्ये विमाने स्थाः’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभावः; विशेषण (qualifying ‘पितरः’)

• दिव्यमाल्याम्बरान्विताः: adorned with divine garlands and garments
• दिव्यमाल्याम्बरान्विताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य-माल्य-अम्बर-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; दिव्य + माल्य + अम्बर + अन्वित)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समाहार-तत्पुरुषभावः (‘दिव्यैः माल्यैः अम्बरैश्च अन्विताः’); विशेषण

Speaker

Pulastya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nirmalodaka

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the sky above the reservoir, radiant ancestors appear seated in vimānas, wearing divine garlands and shining garments; their faces are joyful, freed from torment; the king looks up in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (forefathers)
• Naraka
• Vimāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha merit can extend beyond the individual, becoming a means of ancestral upliftment (pitṛ-śreyas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda tīrtha where the king bathed (Nirmalodaka), demonstrated by its immediate pitṛ-phala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The fruit of snāna is highlighted; the next verses connect it with jalatarpaṇa (water-offerings) as well.