Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

पिंडमग्नौ सदा देयाद्भोगार्थी सततं नरः । प्रजार्थं पत्न्यै वै दद्यान्मध्यमं मंत्रपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

piṃḍamagnau sadā deyādbhogārthī satataṃ naraḥ | prajārthaṃ patnyai vai dadyānmadhyamaṃ maṃtrapūrvakam

Translation

Seorang lelaki yang mengingini kenikmatan hendaklah sentiasa mempersembahkan piṇḍa ke dalam api. Demi zuriat, hendaklah ia memberikan piṇḍa yang di tengah kepada isterinya, disertai mantra yang sewajarnya.

Word by Word

• पिण्डम्: a piṇḍa (rice-ball)
• पिण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — rice-ball/oblation lump

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — in the fire

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देयात्: should offer/give
• देयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विध्यर्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — should give

• भोगार्थी: desirer of enjoyment
• भोगार्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भोगस्य अर्थी), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — one desiring enjoyment

• सततम्: continually
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन (adverbial accusative) — continually

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — man

• प्रजार्थम्: for the sake of offspring
• प्रजार्थम्: Hetu/Purpose (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रजायाः अर्थम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (as purpose/for the sake of) — for progeny

• पत्न्यै: to (his) wife
• पत्न्यै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन — to the wife

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विध्यर्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — should give

• मध्यमम्: the middle (portion)
• मध्यमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — middle/medium (portion)

• मन्त्रपूर्वकम्: with mantras beforehand
• मन्त्रपूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (मन्त्रेण पूर्वकम्/मन्त्रपूर्वकम्), क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन — preceded by mantra

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small sacred fire burns; a man offers a rice-ball/portion into the flames; beside him, his wife receives a designated offering with mantra recitation, both seated on kuśa grass.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Piṇḍa
• Wife (Patnī)
• Prajā (offspring)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts are linked to household aims (puruṣārtha within dharma): offerings ordered rightly are said to support well-being and progeny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where śrāddha-related piṇḍa procedures are taught as dharmically efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer a piṇḍa into Agni; give the middle piṇḍa to one’s wife for progeny, with appropriate mantras.