Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

शरीरद्रव्यदाराभूमनोमंत्रद्वि जन्मनाम् । शुद्धिः सप्तसु विज्ञेया श्राद्धकाले विशेषतः

Transliteration

śarīradravyadārābhūmanomaṃtradvi janmanām | śuddhiḥ saptasu vijñeyā śrāddhakāle viśeṣataḥ

Translation

द्विजांची शुद्धी सात विषयांत जाणावी—शरीर, द्रव्य, पत्नी, भूमी, मन, मंत्र आणि स्वतः द्विजांचा आचार—विशेषतः श्राद्धकाळी.

Word by Word

• śarīra-dravya-dārā-bhūmi-nomaṃtra-dvijanmanām: of the twice-born, regarding body, wealth, wife, land, name and mantra
• śarīra-dravya-dārā-bhūmi-nomaṃtra-dvijanmanām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक) + dravya (प्रातिपदिक) + dārā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक) + nomaṃtra (= nāma + mantra) (प्रातिपदिक) + dvijanman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (समाहार/सूचीभावः)

• śuddhiḥ: purification
• śuddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• saptasu: in seven (categories)
• saptasu: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• vijñeyā: is to be known
• vijñeyā: Vidhi/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु) + vi + ya (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/विधेय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ज्ञेय’ (to be known)

• śrāddha-kāle: at the time of śrāddha
• śrāddha-kāle: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘श्राद्धस्य कालः’)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner/emphasis)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative priest prepares for śrāddha: bathing, arranging clean vessels and offerings, marking a purified ground, calming his mind in japa, and then beginning the rite—seven ‘purity spheres’ subtly symbolized around him.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Dvija (twice-born)
• Mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is not only an external rite; it requires integrated purity of life—body, mind, means, and mantra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where correct śrāddha practice is praised as part of the kṣetra’s dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain sevenfold purity—body, materials, spouse-related propriety, land/space, mind, mantra, and dvija-conduct—especially during śrāddha.