Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अपि स्यात्स कुलेऽस्माकं खड्गमांसेन यः सकृत् । श्राद्धं कुर्यात्प्रयत्नेन कालशाकेन वा पुनः

Transliteration

api syātsa kule'smākaṃ khaḍgamāṃsena yaḥ sakṛt | śrāddhaṃ kuryātprayatnena kālaśākena vā punaḥ

Translation

ഞങ്ങളുടെ കുലത്തിൽ അത്തരമൊരു വ്യക്തി ഉണ്ടാകട്ടെ; അവൻ ഒരിക്കൽപോലും പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ ശ്രാദ്ധം നടത്തട്ടെ—ഖഡ്ഗമാംസത്താലോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വീണ്ടും കാലശാക ഇലയാലോ।

Word by Word

• api: perhaps
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना-अव्ययम् (perhaps/even)

• syāt: may there be
• syāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• kule: in the family
• kule: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• asmākam: of us / our
• asmākam: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• khaḍga-māṃsena: with swordfish meat
• khaḍga-māṃsena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक) + māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (खड्गस्य मांसम्)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: once)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• prayatnena: with effort
• prayatnena: Karaṇa (Means/Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; साधनभावः (manner)

• kāla-śākena: with dark greens (vegetable)
• kāla-śākena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + śāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः (कालेन/कृष्णं शाकम्—‘dark greens’)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive: or)

• punaḥ: again / alternatively
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति/पुनः-अव्ययम् (adverb: again/also)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goṣpada

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā (addressed as 'O fair-faced one' in the immediate passage context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a sandy coastal tīrtha performs śrāddha with humble offerings—greens and a small portion of meat—before a pitṛ-altar, with elders’ unseen presence implied by subtle light and hovering lotuses.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs (implied)
• Goṣpada context (from prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

What matters is sincere performance of pitṛ-rites; even a single earnest Śrāddha can bring great ancestral benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The immediate context is Goṣpada tīrtha in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where acts for Pitṛs are especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Śrāddha with effort (prayatna), with specified offering options such as khaḍga-māṃsa or kālaśāka.