Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

मातामहः प्रमाता च तथा वृद्धप्रमातृकः । तेषां पिंडो मया दत्तो ह्यक्षय्यमुपतिष्ठताम्

Transliteration

mātāmahaḥ pramātā ca tathā vṛddhapramātṛkaḥ | teṣāṃ piṃḍo mayā datto hyakṣayyamupatiṣṭhatām

Translation

Datuk sebelah ibu, moyang sebelah ibu, dan leluhur tua melampaui mereka—semoga piṇḍa yang aku persembahkan kepada mereka menjadi tidak binasa, tidak susut, dan tegak sebagai sandaran yang berkekalan.

Word by Word

• मातामहः: maternal grandfather
• मातामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• प्रमाता: great-grandfather (maternal line)
• प्रमाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• वृद्धप्रमातृकः: the elder great-ancestor (older promātṛka)
• वृद्धप्रमातृकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमातृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (वृद्धः प्रमातृकः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक/स्त्री, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पिण्डः: rice-ball offering
• पिण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• दत्तः: given/offered
• दत्तः: Kriyā (Predicate as participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (क्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पिण्डः इति विशेष्येण सह

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; हेतौ/अवधारणे)

• अक्षय्यम्: imperishable (benefit)
• अक्षय्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (उपतिष्ठताम् इत्यस्य कर्म)

• उपतिष्ठताम्: may they attend/come near (be present)
• उपतिष्ठताम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Ritual mantra text (maternal lineage and merit-fruition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa performs piṇḍa-dāna with kuśa grass and water, invoking maternal ancestors; offerings arranged on darbha near a sacred spot, with the sea/river breeze and distant temple silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Maternal ancestors

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings made with proper rite and faith aim at akṣaya-puṇya—lasting spiritual benefit for both ancestors and descendants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a place where ancestral offerings yield enduring results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering piṇḍa for the maternal line and praying that the gift become akṣaya (undiminishing) in effect.