Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

नर्मदादिषु तीर्थेषु कुर्याच्छ्राद्धं नरो यदि । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः पितरो यांति सद्गतिम्

Transliteration

narmadādiṣu tīrtheṣu kuryācchrāddhaṃ naro yadi | sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ pitaro yāṃti sadgatim

Translation

നർമദാ മുതലായ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ ഒരാൾ ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്താൽ, അവൻ സകലപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു വിമുക്തനാകും; പിതൃകൾ സദ്ഗതി പ്രാപിക്കും।

Word by Word

• नर्मदादिषु: in (places) such as the Narmadā
• नर्मदादिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (आदि-शब्दः), सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; अधिकरण; अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः अर्थः ‘नर्मदादिषु’ (नर्मदा-आदिषु)

• तीर्थेषु: at sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; अधिकरण

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक-समुच्चय/निपात (conditional particle)

• सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः: freed from all sins
• सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पाप-विनिर्मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + पाप + विनिर्मुक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (नरस्य); कृदन्ताधारित-विशेषण (विनिर्मुक्त = मुच्-धातोः क्त)

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सद्गतिम्: a good state/destination
• सद्गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्-गति (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + गति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; कर्मधारय (सत् एव गतिः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīrtha (and allied tīrthas)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Narmadā ghāṭa, a devotee performs śrāddha with priest; ancestors are depicted subtly as luminous figures receiving offerings; the river glows as purifier; sense of release and blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-based śrāddha purifies the performer and uplifts the ancestors—personal and transgenerational dharma together.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā and other comparable tīrthas (narmadādi-tīrthas).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at river tīrthas like the Narmadā for sin-removal and the ancestors’ sadgati.