Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 126

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन श्राद्धं गुप्तं च कारयेत् । पितॄणां तृप्तिदं प्रोक्तं स्वयमेव स्वयंभुवा

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena śrāddhaṃ guptaṃ ca kārayet | pitṝṇāṃ tṛptidaṃ proktaṃ svayameva svayaṃbhuvā

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് എല്ലാ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെയും ശ്രാദ്ധം ഗോപ്യമായി തന്നെ നടത്തണം. പിതൃകൾക്ക് തൃപ്തി നൽകുന്നതാണിത് എന്ന് സ്വയംഭൂ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് തന്നേ പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचनम् = Ablative singular

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण), एकवचनम् = Instrumental singular; समासः: सर्वः प्रयत्नः (all effort)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचनम् = Accusative singular

• गुप्तम्: secret/hidden
• गुप्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गुप् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचनम् = Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (to ‘śrāddham’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात)

• कारयेत्: should have (it) performed
• कारयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् = 3rd person singular; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) ‘should cause to be done/should arrange’

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम् = Genitive plural

• तृप्तिदम्: giving satisfaction
• तृप्तिदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; ‘giving’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (here agreeing with implied ‘śrāddham’); समासः: तृप्तिं ददाति इति (upapada-tatpuruṣa)

• प्रोक्तम्: declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate adjective (as ‘is said’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम् = Nominative singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘said/declared’

• स्वयम्: personally
• स्वयम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण-निपात)

• स्वयंभुवा: by Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयंभुवा: Kartṛ-karaṇa (Agent in passive ‘proktam’/by whom said)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण), एकवचनम् = Instrumental singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Brahmā (Svayambhū) in the upper register, four-faced, bestowing a scroll-like injunction; below, a householder conducts a private śrāddha with a small, focused assembly; pitṛs appear content, receiving subtle offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha
• Svayambhū (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When performed discreetly and reverently, śrāddha becomes truly nourishing to the Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the Māhātmya setting where these dharma-rules are taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake śrāddha with full care and keep it private; it is said to directly satisfy the ancestors.