Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पशुयोनिगता ये च ये च कीटसरी सृपाः । अथवा वृक्षयोनिस्थास्तेभ्यः पिंडं ददाम्यहम्

Transliteration

paśuyonigatā ye ca ye ca kīṭasarī sṛpāḥ | athavā vṛkṣayonisthāstebhyaḥ piṃḍaṃ dadāmyaham

Translation

പശുയോണിയിൽപ്പെട്ടവരും, കീടങ്ങളായും സരീസൃപങ്ങളായും ഇഴജന്തുക്കളായും ആയവരും, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വൃക്ഷയോണിയിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നവരും—അവർക്കെല്ലാം ഞാൻ ഈ പിണ്ഡം അർപ്പിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पशु-योनि-गताः: gone into animal wombs/species
• पशु-योनि-गताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पशूनां योनिः) + गताः (क्त)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• कीट-सरी: worm/creeping insect-kind
• कीट-सरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीट (प्रातिपदिक) + सरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कीटवत् सरी) = 'कीटसरी' (कृमि/कीट-प्रकारः)

• सृपाः: reptiles/creepers
• सृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• वृक्ष-योनि-स्थाः: dwelling in tree-birth/species
• वृक्ष-योनि-स्थाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वृक्षाणां योनिः) + स्थ (स्थित)

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन

• पिण्डम्: piṇḍa offering
• पिण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ददामि: I give
• ददामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Ritual declaration by the performer (universal dedication beyond human birth)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa’s shore/riverbank prepares rice piṇḍas on darbha, offering them with a wide, compassionate gesture that symbolically reaches animals, insects, serpents, and trees; subtle forms of these yonis appear as faint silhouettes receiving the offering.

Characters & Entities

• Animal births
• Tree-birth (vṛkṣa-yoni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma recognizes rebirth across many forms and encourages expansive compassion through ritual intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the rite is presented as capable of benefiting beings across varied births.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dedicate piṇḍa offerings broadly, including to departed beings who may have taken non-human births.