Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तस्माच्छ्रद्धान्वितैः श्राद्धं कर्त्तव्यं क्रोधवर्जितैः । वानप्रस्थो ब्रह्मचारी पथिकस्तीर्थसेवकः

Transliteration

tasmācchraddhānvitaiḥ śrāddhaṃ karttavyaṃ krodhavarjitaiḥ | vānaprastho brahmacārī pathikastīrthasevakaḥ

Translation

അതിനാൽ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ, ക്രോധം വിട്ട് ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്യണം. വാനപ്രസ്ഥൻ, ബ്രഹ്മചാരി, പഥികൻ, തീർത്ഥസേവകൻ—ഇവർ ആദരണീയരാണ്.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that; therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रद्धान्वितैः: by those endowed with faith
• श्रद्धान्वितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √इ (इण्) + क्त)
• Form: बहुव्रीह्यर्थे तत्पुरुषसमासः (श्रद्धया अन्विताः), पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्तव्यं: should be performed
• कर्तव्यं: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेयभावः (to be done)

• क्रोधवर्जितैः: by those free from anger
• क्रोधवर्जितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √वृज्/वर्ज् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (क्रोधेन वर्जिताः), पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वानप्रस्थः: a forest-dweller (vānaprastha)
• वानप्रस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate student (brahmacārin)
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पथिकः: a traveler
• पथिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थसेवकः: a servant/attendant of a tīrtha (pilgrimage place)
• तीर्थसेवकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (तीर्थस्य सेवकः), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Māhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha household scene where a calm householder offers respect to a vānaprastha with matted hair, a brahmacārin with staff and water pot, a dusty traveler, and a tīrtha-sevaka near a shrine path; anger is absent; gestures are gentle.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner purity—faith and freedom from anger—makes pitṛ-rites fruitful, and dharma honors those living disciplined or pilgrimage-oriented lives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya, emphasizing tīrtha-service as meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha with faith and without anger; esteem/receive vānaprasthas, brahmacārins, travelers, and tīrtha-servants appropriately.