Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

वर्या स्वातियवा नित्यं तथा वृषयवासकौ । वंशा करीरा सुरसा मार्जिता भूतृणानि च

Transliteration

varyā svātiyavā nityaṃ tathā vṛṣayavāsakau | vaṃśā karīrā surasā mārjitā bhūtṛṇāni ca

Translation

ശ്രാദ്ധകർമ്മത്തിൽ നിത്യമായി വർയാ, സ്വാതിയവാ, വൃഷയവാസക; അതുപോലെ വംശാ (മുളങ്കൂമ്പ്), കരീര, സുരസാ, മാർജിതാ, ഭൂതൃണ പുല്ലും ഉപയോഗിക്കാം।

Word by Word

• वर्या: varyā (a medicinal plant)
• वर्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन/बहुवचन (पाठानुसार); द्रव्यनाम

• स्वातियवाः: svāti-yavas (a kind of barley/grass)
• स्वातियवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाति + यव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वाति-सम्बद्धा यवाः)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus/also)

• वृषयवासकौ: the two vṛṣa-yavāsakas (a plant name; dual)
• वृषयवासकौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष + यवासक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वृष-सम्बद्धौ यवासकौ)

• वंशाः: bamboos (vaṃśa)
• वंशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• करीराः: karīra shrubs
• करीराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सुरसाः: holy basil (surasā)
• सुरसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मार्जिताः: cleansed/purified
• मार्जिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृज् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘cleansed/purified’ इति विशेषण

• भूतृणानि: ground grasses/herbs
• भूतृणानि: Karta/Karma (Contextual/प्रकरणानुसार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भू-सम्बद्धानि तृणानि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style in Māhātmya sections)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience within Prabhāsa-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual kitchen/offerings scene: baskets of greens and shoots—bamboo shoots, karīra pods, surasā (holy basil-like herb), and other listed śāka—arranged beside a śrāddha altar, with a priest inspecting ingredients for suitability.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha must be performed with purity and appropriate, sattvic offerings so that the Pitṛs are truly satisfied.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya as a powerful place for Pitṛ-related rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A list of permitted plant-based items/greens suitable for use in Śrāddha offerings.