Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

मदीयाः पितरो ये च कुले जाताः सनाभयः । तेषां पिण्डप्रदाताऽहमागतोऽस्मिन्पितामहाः

Transliteration

madīyāḥ pitaro ye ca kule jātāḥ sanābhayaḥ | teṣāṃ piṇḍapradātā'hamāgato'sminpitāmahāḥ

Translation

Wahai para pitāmaha (datuk-nenek leluhur)! Kepada para pitṛku yang lahir dalam keturunan ini, seketurunan dan sekeluarga, aku datang ke sini sebagai pemberi piṇḍa, bebola nasi persembahan upacara.

Word by Word

• मदीयाः: my
• मदीयाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पितरः)

• पितरः: ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• कुले: in the lineage/family
• कुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• जाताः: born
• जाताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ये/पितरः)

• सनाभयः: kinsmen of the same stock (agnates)
• सनाभयः: Apposition (Same referent/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सनाभि = समाननाभयः/सहोदराः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sampradana/Relation (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पिण्डप्रदाता: giver of piṇḍa offerings
• पिण्डप्रदाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + प्रदातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पिण्डप्रदाता = पिण्डस्य प्रदाता)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आगतः: have come
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicate state/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (अहम्)

• अस्मिन्: in this (place/occasion)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पितामहाः: O grandfathers/forefathers
• पितामहाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रथमा (vocative sense)

Speaker

Ritual formula prescribed in the narrative (addressing the Pitṛs)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee kneels at the tīrtha edge with darbha and a leaf-plate of rice-balls, addressing unseen ancestors as ‘pitāmaha’ and offering piṇḍas for the whole lineage.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Pitāmahas (forefathers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring one’s lineage through offerings is a key duty (pitṛ-ṛṇa) and sustains dharma across generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where ancestor offerings are described as especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Declaring oneself as the piṇḍa-giver to one’s ancestors as part of the śrāddha invocation at the tīrtha.