Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं कृत्वा यथाशक्त्या दत्त्वा विप्राय दक्षिणाम् । विमुक्तः सर्वदुःखेभ्यो रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā yathāśaktyā dattvā viprāya dakṣiṇām | vimuktaḥ sarvaduḥkhebhyo rudralokaṃ sa gacchati

Translation

യഥാശക്തി ശ്രാദ്ധം നിർവഹിച്ചു ബ്രാഹ്മണന് യഥോചിത ദക്ഷിണ അർപ്പിച്ചാൽ, അവൻ സർവ്വദുഃഖങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു വിമുക്തനായി രുദ്രലോകം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, neuter)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund: ‘having done’)

• यथाशक्त्या: as much as possible
• यथाशक्त्या: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; तृतीया एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial: ‘according to one’s ability’)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund: ‘having given’)

• विप्राय: to a brāhmaṇa
• विप्राय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Dative singular, masculine)

• दक्षिणाम्: a fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object of giving)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, feminine)

• विमुक्तः: freed
• विमुक्तः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु) → विमुक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; ‘freed’

• सर्वदुःखेभ्यः: from all sorrows
• सर्वदुःखेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/separation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Ablative plural, neuter); ‘all (kinds of) sorrows’

• रुद्रलोकम्: Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोकम्: Karma (Goal/object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, masculine)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masculine)

• गच्छति: goes/attains
• गच्छति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (instructional narrative within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra (Nāga-sthāna chapter context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Pārvatī (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple performs śrāddha at Prabhāsa: darbha spread, piṇḍas and water-libations offered; a seated brāhmaṇa receives dakṣiṇā; in the background a luminous Śiva-realm motif suggests Rudra-loka.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Rudraloka
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practical: honoring ancestors and supporting priests with sincere capacity-based giving yields spiritual upliftment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rites are framed within the Nāgasthāna/Trisaṅgama context of Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha according to means and give dakṣiṇā to a brāhmaṇa.