Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

श्राद्धे गृहस्था भोक्तव्याः कुलीना वेदपारगाः । अक्रोधनाः स्नानशीलाः स्वदेशाचारतत्पराः

Transliteration

śrāddhe gṛhasthā bhoktavyāḥ kulīnā vedapāragāḥ | akrodhanāḥ snānaśīlāḥ svadeśācāratatparāḥ

Translation

ശ്രാദ്ധസമയത്ത് ഗൃഹസ്ഥർ സുകുലജന്മന്മാരും വേദപാരംഗതരുമായ, ക്രോധരഹിതരും സ്നാന-ശൗചനിഷ്ഠരുമായ, സ്വദേശാചാരത്തിൽ തത്പരരുമായവരെ ഭോജനിപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Loc.), एकवचन

• गृहस्थाः: householders
• गृहस्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nom.), बहुवचन

• भोक्तव्याः: to be fed; should be made to eat
• भोक्तव्याः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → भोक्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nom.), बहुवचन; कर्तव्यता (gerundive/‘fit to be fed/should eat’)

• कुलीनाः: of good family; noble
• कुलीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; गृहस्थाः-विशेषणम्

• वेदपारगाः: versed in the Vedas
• वेदपारगाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (vedānāṃ pāragāḥ)

• अक्रोधनाः: not angry; free from wrath
• अक्रोधनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + क्रोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; नञ्-समासान्त विशेषणम्

• स्नानशीलाः: habitually bathing; of bathing conduct
• स्नानशीलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (snānaṃ śīlaṃ yeṣām)

• स्वदेशाचारतत्पराः: devoted to the customs of their own region
• स्वदेशाचारतत्पराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (svadeśasya ācāre tatparāḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clean courtyard near a coastal tīrtha; householders seat calm, Veda-reciting brāhmaṇas; water pots, darbha grass, and plates prepared for śrāddha-bhojana; atmosphere of restraint and purity.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Vastrāpatha Kṣetra
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha gains strength through proper recipients—ethical, pure, and learned persons—so that ancestral rites remain dharmically aligned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa), framing śrāddha practice within a sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During śrāddha, one should feed qualified householders: Veda-learned, calm, purity-observant, and adherent to proper local conduct.