Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तेषां पुरः प्रदातव्यं पिंडदानं विधानतः । श्राद्धं श्रद्धाविहीनेन कृतमप्यकृतं भवेत्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ puraḥ pradātavyaṃ piṃḍadānaṃ vidhānataḥ | śrāddhaṃ śraddhāvihīnena kṛtamapyakṛtaṃ bhavet

Translation

അവരുടെ സന്നിധിയിൽ വിധിപ്രകാരം പിണ്ഡദാനം നൽകണം. ശ്രദ്ധയില്ലാതെ ചെയ്ത ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്തിട്ടും ചെയ്തതല്ലാത്തതുപോലെ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Gen.), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुरः: in front; before
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb ‘in front/before’)

• प्रदातव्यम्: should be offered/given
• प्रदातव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → प्रदातव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्तव्यता (gerundive ‘should be given’)

• पिण्डदानम्: offering of rice-balls (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (piṇḍasya dānam)

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed procedure
• विधानतः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘according to rule’

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• श्रद्धाविहीनेन: by one devoid of faith
• श्रद्धाविहीनेन: Kartr/Agent-instrument (Doer/करण-कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक) + विहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instr.), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (śraddhayā vihīnaḥ)

• कृतम्: done; performed
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• अपि: even; although
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारक अव्यय (even/although)

• अकृतम्: undone; as if not done
• अकृतम्: Pratishedha (Negated predicate/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; नञ्-युक्त क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त

• भवेत्: would be; becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Māhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Piṇḍas placed on darbha before seated brāhmaṇas; the performer offers with folded hands and focused gaze; a subtle aura indicates śraddhā; contrasting shadow motif suggests emptiness of faithless ritual.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual without inner faith is spiritually empty; śraddhā is the life of śrāddha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra (Vastrāpatha Mahākṣetra) in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer piṇḍas according to injunctions in the presence of the invited Brāhmaṇas; perform śrāddha with genuine faith.