Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

प्रार्थयन्दीर्घमायुश्च वायसेभ्यः प्रदापयेत् । कुमारलोकमन्विच्छन्कुक्कुटेभ्यः प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

prārthayandīrghamāyuśca vāyasebhyaḥ pradāpayet | kumāralokamanvicchankukkuṭebhyaḥ pradāpayet

Translation

दीर्घायुष्याची प्रार्थना करून कावळ्यांना अर्पण-दान करावे। कुमारलोकाची प्राप्ती इच्छिणाऱ्याने कोंबड्यांना अर्पण-दान करावे।

Word by Word

• prārthayan: requesting, praying for
• prārthayan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√arth (अर्थ् धातु) ; शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (pres. act. participle, masc. nom. sg.)

• dīrgham: long
• dīrgham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neut. acc. sg.)

• āyuḥ: life-span
• āyuḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.; form = āyuḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक conjunction)

• vāyasebhyaḥ: to the crows
• vāyasebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (dat. pl.)

• pradāpayet: should cause to be given / should offer
• pradāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√dā (दा धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• kumāralokam: the world of the Kumāras
• kumāralokam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: ‘कुमाराणां लोकः’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• anvicchan: seeking, desiring
• anvicchan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu√iṣ (इष् धातु) ; शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (pres. act. participle, masc. nom. sg.)

• kukkuṭebhyaḥ: to the roosters
• kukkuṭebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kukkuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (dat. pl.)

• pradāpayet: should cause to be given / should offer
• pradāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√dā (दा धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim places small food offerings on clean ground for crows; nearby, a rooster stands as a symbolic recipient; in the background, a sacred coastal kṣetra atmosphere suggests Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Crows (Vāyasa)
• Roosters (Kukkuṭa)
• Kumāra-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual ecology matters in śrāddha: offerings are mapped to intended fruits, linking compassion, order, and aspiration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, in whose Māhātmya such śrāddha-related bali offerings are described with specific results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer to crows for longevity; offer to roosters for attaining Kumāra-loka.