Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

विधिवद्दास्यति श्राद्धं स्नात्वा संतर्प्य देवताः । युष्मत्प्रसादतस्तस्य ह्यन्वयेऽपि कदाचन । मा भूयात्प्रेतभावो हि अपि पापान्वितस्य भोः

Transliteration

vidhivaddāsyati śrāddhaṃ snātvā saṃtarpya devatāḥ | yuṣmatprasādatastasya hyanvaye'pi kadācana | mā bhūyātpretabhāvo hi api pāpānvitasya bhoḥ

Translation

…സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ദേവതകളെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തി അവൻ നിയമപ്രകാരം ശ്രാദ്ധം നടത്തും. നിങ്ങളുടെ പ്രസാദത്താൽ അവനിലും—അവന്റെ വംശത്തിലും—ഒരിക്കലും പ്രേതഭാവം ഉണ്ടാകരുത്, പാപയുക്തനായാലും പോലും।

Word by Word

• vidhivat: according to proper rite
• vidhivat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner): "विधिना" = according to rule

• dāsyati: will give
• dāsyati: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धाातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite (funeral offering)
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• saṃtarpya: having satisfied (offered oblations to)
• saṃtarpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (धातु) + sam- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); causative sense in usage: "तर्पयित्वा"

• devatāḥ: the deities
• devatāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• yuṣmat-prasādataḥ: by your grace
• yuṣmat-prasādataḥ: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास: "युष्मतां प्रसादः"; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (ablatival): "-तः" = from/by

• tasya: of him / his
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (निपात)
• Form: निपात; अवधान/हेतौ (emphatic/indeed)

• anvaye: in the lineage
• anvaye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (निपात)
• Form: निपात; अपि = even/also

• kadācana: at any time (ever)
• kadācana: Kāla (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācana (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय; नकारेण सह = "कदाचन" = ever/at any time

• mā: may not / do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (निषेध-निपात)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात; विधिलिङ्/लोट् आदि सह निषेध (prohibitive)

• bhūyāt: may become / may occur
• bhūyāt: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• preta-bhāvaḥ: state of being a preta (ghost)
• preta-bhāvaḥ: Karta/Subject (of bhūyāt)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: "प्रेतस्य भावः"; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (निपात)
• Form: निपात; अवधानार्थ (indeed)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (निपात)
• Form: निपात; अपि = even

• pāpa-anvitasya: of one tainted with sin
• pāpa-anvitasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √i/anu-?; "युक्त")
• Form: तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे कर्मधारयवत्: "पापेन अन्वितः"; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (of one who is accompanied by sin)

• bhoḥ: O (sir)!
• bhoḥ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhoḥ (सम्बोधन-निपात)
• Form: सम्बोधनार्थक निपात (vocative interjection)

Speaker

Gautama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A complete śrāddha scene: after bathing, the performer offers water and piṇḍas, while deities are symbolically ‘satisfied’ through offerings; a protective aura extends over a family tree motif, while preta-shadows dissolve.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Devatāḥ
• Pitṛs (implicit via śrāddha)
• Preta(s)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual performed with proper method and devotion at a tīrtha yields multi-generational welfare, removing fear of preta-state and its suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s sacred spot that becomes associated with Pretatīrtha and ancestral deliverance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha, devatā-tarpaṇa (satisfying deities), and vidhivat-śrāddha (rule-based śrāddha).