Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ईश्वर उवाच । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि श्राद्धदानान्यनुक्रमात् । तारणाय च भूतानां सरस्वत्यब्धिसंगमे

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | īśvara uvāca | ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi śrāddhadānānyanukramāt | tāraṇāya ca bhūtānāṃ sarasvatyabdhisaṃgame

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഇനി ശ്രാദ്ധകർമ്മത്തിൽ നൽകേണ്ട ദാനങ്ങളുടെ ക്രമം ഞാൻ പ്രസ്താവിക്കും; സരസ്വതി–സമുദ്ര സംഗമത്തിൽ ജീവികളുടെ താരണമെന്ന ലക്ഷ്യത്തോടെ।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति—पाठभेद/अनुवादसूचना)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (पुनरुक्ति)

• अतः: thereafter/therefore
• अतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Discourse adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/अनन्तरार्थ (therefore/thereafter)

• परम्: further/next
• परम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “further/next”)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• श्राद्धदानानि: śrāddha and gifts (rites of offering)
• श्राद्धदानानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध-दान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (श्राद्धं च दानं च)

• अनुक्रमात्: in due order/sequence
• अनुक्रमात्: Hetu/Adverbial (Manner/sequence)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative); एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—“क्रमेण” (in order)

• तारणाय: for the deliverance
• तारणाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति (4th/Dative); एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• सरस्वती-अब्धि-संगमे: at the Sarasvatī–ocean confluence
• सरस्वती-अब्धि-संगमे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती-अब्धि-संगम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: सरस्वत्यब्धिसंगम (Sarasvatī–Abdhi Saṅgama)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara as teacher, seated in serene majesty, indicating the sacred saṅgama where the Sarasvatī meets the ocean; pilgrims prepare śrāddha offerings on the shore with darbha, water-vessels, and piṇḍas.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Śrāddha-dāna
• Sarasvatī–Abdhi Saṅgama
• Bhūta (beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is not only remembrance but also dāna (charity); giving, done rightly at a tīrtha, supports liberation and welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī–ocean confluence in Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the explicit ritual setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A forthcoming ordered list of Śrāddha gifts (śrāddha-dāna) to be performed at the saṅgama.