Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 115

Devanagari script

आद्यावसाने श्राद्धस्य त्रिरावर्तमिमं जपन् । अश्वमेधफलं ह्येतद्विप्रैः संज्ञाय पूजितम्

Transliteration

ādyāvasāne śrāddhasya trirāvartamimaṃ japan | aśvamedhaphalaṃ hyetadvipraiḥ saṃjñāya pūjitam

Translation

ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിന്റെ ആരംഭത്തിലും സമാപനത്തിലും ഈ മന്ത്രം മൂന്നു പ്രാവശ്യം ജപിച്ചാൽ അശ്വമേധയാഗഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു—എന്ന് വിപ്രന്മാർ അംഗീകരിച്ച് പൂജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• आद्यावसाने: at the beginning and at the end
• आद्यावसाने: Adhikarana (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आद्य + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘आद्ये च अवसाने च’ इत्यर्थे

• श्राद्धस्य: of the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• त्रिरावर्तम्: threefold repetition
• त्रिरावर्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिस् (अव्यय/संख्या) + आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (इमम्/जपम्)

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (मन्त्रम् implied)

• जपन्: reciting
• जपन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma/Artha (Result/thing stated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक (particle: indeed/for)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta/Artha (Subject/thing referred)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• विप्रैः: by the brāhmaṇas
• विप्रैः: Karana (Instrument/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• संज्ञाय: having known/recognizing
• संज्ञाय: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• पूजितम्: honored/worshipped
• पूजितम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; एतत् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhātmya audience seeking śrāddha-vidhi and phala

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha rite framed by two moments: beginning and conclusion. The performer recites a mantra thrice, with brāhmaṇas witnessing/approving; a subtle visual cue of a royal Aśvamedha horse in the background as symbolic comparison.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere mantra-japa within śrāddha is exalted as immensely powerful, equated with the merit of grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where śrāddha performed with correct japa is celebrated as highly meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Chant the stated mantra three times at both the start and the end of the Śrāddha.