Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

त्रिणाचिकेतस्त्रिमधुस्त्रिसुपर्णः षडंगवित् । दौहित्रकस्तु जामाता स्वस्रीयः श्वशुरस्तथा

Transliteration

triṇāciketastrimadhustrisuparṇaḥ ṣaḍaṃgavit | dauhitrakastu jāmātā svasrīyaḥ śvaśurastathā

Translation

ത്രിണാചികേതൻ, ‘ത്രിമധു’വിദ്, ‘ത്രിസുപർണ’വിദ്, വേദത്തിന്റെ ഷഡംഗവിദ്—അതുപോലെ ദൗഹിത്രൻ, ജാമാതാവ്, സ്വസ്രീയൻ, ശ്വശുരൻ—ഇവർ ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ യോഗ്യപാത്രരായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• त्रिणाचिकेतः: one who has performed the three Nāciketa fires/rites
• त्रिणाचिकेतः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + नाचिकेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयो नाचिकेताः यस्य/त्रिणाचिकेतः)

• त्रिमधुः: one connected with the three Madhu (hymns/offerings)
• त्रिमधुः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• त्रिसुपर्णः: one associated with the three Suparṇa (chants)
• त्रिसुपर्णः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + सुपर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• षडंगवित्: knower of the six Vedāṅgas
• षडंगवित्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘वित्’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षडङ्गानि वेदस्य, तानि वेत्ति)

• दौहित्रकः: a daughter's son (grandson)
• दौहित्रकः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौहित्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast/विशेष)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• जामाता: son-in-law
• जामाता: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जामातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वस्रीयः: sister's son (nephew)
• स्वस्रीयः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्रीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्वशुरः: father-in-law
• श्वशुरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वशुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (likewise/also)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing instruction) (deduced from continuity with the prior śrāddha eligibility discussion)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A addressed interlocutor (here vocative context continues in nearby verses; overall a questioner seeking śrāddha rules)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha pavilion near the Prabhāsa shore: darbha spread, piṇḍas prepared, a learned brāhmaṇa with vedāṅga symbols, and close kin seated respectfully—dauhitra and jāmātṛ prominent—while the yajamāna offers tarpaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha honors both spiritual excellence (Vedic mastery) and dharmic kinship, showing how learning and family obligations jointly uphold ancestral welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The framework remains the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, where correct śrāddha procedure is taught as part of the sacred culture of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Further specifies who may be fit in śrāddha contexts: Vedic-qualified persons (triṇāciketa, tri-madhu, tri-suparṇa, ṣaḍaṅga-vit) and certain close relatives (daughter’s son, son-in-law, sister’s son, father-in-law).