Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

मातामहः प्रमाता च तथा वृद्धप्रमातृकः । तेषां पिंडो मया दत्तो ह्यक्षय्यमुपतिष्ठताम्

Transliteration

mātāmahaḥ pramātā ca tathā vṛddhapramātṛkaḥ | teṣāṃ piṃḍo mayā datto hyakṣayyamupatiṣṭhatām

Translation

മാതാമഹൻ, പ്രമാതാമഹൻ, അതിലും വൃദ്ധനായ പൂർവ്വപിതാവ്—അവർക്കായി ഞാൻ അർപ്പിച്ച ഈ പിണ്ഡം അക്ഷയമായിരിക്കട്ടെ; നിത്യവും ആശ്രയമായി നിലകൊള്ളട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• मातामहः: maternal grandfather
• मातामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• प्रमाता: great-grandfather (maternal line)
• प्रमाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• वृद्धप्रमातृकः: the elder great-ancestor (older promātṛka)
• वृद्धप्रमातृकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमातृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (वृद्धः प्रमातृकः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक/स्त्री, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पिण्डः: rice-ball offering
• पिण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• दत्तः: given/offered
• दत्तः: Kriyā (Predicate as participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (क्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पिण्डः इति विशेष्येण सह

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; हेतौ/अवधारणे)

• अक्षय्यम्: imperishable (benefit)
• अक्षय्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (उपतिष्ठताम् इत्यस्य कर्म)

• उपतिष्ठताम्: may they attend/come near (be present)
• उपतिष्ठताम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Ritual mantra text (maternal lineage and merit-fruition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa performs piṇḍa-dāna with kuśa grass and water, invoking maternal ancestors; offerings arranged on darbha near a sacred spot, with the sea/river breeze and distant temple silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Maternal ancestors

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings made with proper rite and faith aim at akṣaya-puṇya—lasting spiritual benefit for both ancestors and descendants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a place where ancestral offerings yield enduring results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering piṇḍa for the maternal line and praying that the gift become akṣaya (undiminishing) in effect.