Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

कथं तस्य क्रिया कार्या हतस्य ब्राह्मणैः किल । कथं गतिर्भवेत्तस्य यज्ञदानक्रियाबलात्

Transliteration

kathaṃ tasya kriyā kāryā hatasya brāhmaṇaiḥ kila | kathaṃ gatirbhavettasya yajñadānakriyābalāt

Translation

‘ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർ അവനെ വധിച്ചതായി കേൾക്കുന്നു; അപ്പോൾ അവനുവേണ്ടി ശ്രാദ്ധാദി ക്രിയകൾ എങ്ങനെ ചെയ്യണം? യജ്ഞം, ദാനം, വിധികർമ്മങ്ങളുടെ ബലത്താൽ അവന്റെ ഗതി എങ്ങനെ മെച്ചപ്പെടും?’

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• क्रिया: rite; act
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• कार्या: to be done; should be performed
• कार्या: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective), कर्तव्यता (to be done)

• हतस्य: of the slain (one)
• हतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त → हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (qualifying 'तस्य')

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन

• किल: indeed; it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), श्रुत्यर्थ/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थ (indeed, it is said)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• गतिः: destination; course
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: might be; could become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• यज्ञदानक्रियाबलात्: from the power of sacrifice, charity, and rites
• यज्ञदानक्रियाबलात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध-प्रधानः): यज्ञस्य दानस्य क्रियायाः बलम् → यज्ञदानक्रियाबलम्

Speaker

Vainya (Pṛthu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: प्रभासक्षेत्र

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: शौनकादयः

Visual Art Cues

Scene: राजा वैन्यः ऋषि-समाजं स्मरन्, यज्ञकुण्ड-प्रतीकं, दान-पात्रं, पिण्ड-तर्पण-उपकरणानि (कुश, जलपात्र) दृश्यन्ते; भावः—‘कथं क्रिया?’ इति प्रश्नाकुलता।

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Yajña
• Dāna
• Kriyā (śrāddha/antyeṣṭi context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in difficult karmic situations, dharmic rites—yajña, dāna, and śrāddha—are sought as means to aid a departed soul’s gati.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, though it focuses on pitṛ-related dharma rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It alludes to kriyā (funerary/śrāddha rites), and the supporting acts of yajña (sacrifice) and dāna (charity).