Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

एकेनापि हि विप्रेण षट्पिण्डं श्राद्धमाचरेत् । षडर्घ्यान्पारयेत्तत्र तेभ्यो दद्याद्यथाविधि

Transliteration

ekenāpi hi vipreṇa ṣaṭpiṇḍaṃ śrāddhamācaret | ṣaḍarghyānpārayettatra tebhyo dadyādyathāvidhi

Translation

ഒരേയൊരു ബ്രാഹ്മണനുണ്ടായാലും ആറു പിണ്ഡങ്ങളോടെ ശ്രാദ്ധം ആചരിക്കണം. അവിടെ ആറു അർഘ്യങ്ങൾ സമാപിപ്പിച്ച് പിന്നെ യഥാവിധി അവനു ദാനം നൽകണം।

Word by Word

• ekena: with one (single)
• ekena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); used with 'vipreṇa'

• api: even
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) meaning 'even/also'

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Causal emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) giving reason/emphasis

• vipreṇa: by/with a brāhmaṇa
• vipreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ṣaṭpiṇḍam: (a śrāddha) with six piṇḍas
• ṣaṭpiṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu compound: 'ṣaṭ piṇḍāḥ' → 'ṣaṭpiṇḍam' (having six piṇḍas)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ācaret: should perform
• ācaret: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√car (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• ṣaḍarghyān: six arghya offerings
• ṣaḍarghyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); dvigu: 'ṣaṭ arghyāḥ' (six arghya-offerings)

• pārayet: should complete/perform fully
• pārayet: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pṝ/√pār (धातु; causative sense 'to complete/carry through')
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tatra: there/in that rite
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• tebhyaḥ: to them
• tebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yathāvidhi: according to the prescribed rule
• yathāvidhi: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā + vidhi (अव्यय + प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound functioning as adverb; meaning 'according to rule'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone brāhmaṇa sits on a kuśa seat; before him are six rice piṇḍas arranged in order and a row of vessels for six arghyas; the yajamāna offers water with sesame, then presents dakṣiṇā.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Vipra
• Ṣaṭpiṇḍa
• Arghya
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-rites remain valid even with minimal arrangements when performed with correct form and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra; the māhātmya supports pilgrims by giving workable śrāddha procedures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

With only one brāhmaṇa available, perform ṣaṭpiṇḍa śrāddha, offer six arghyas, and give the proper gifts/dakṣiṇā as enjoined.