Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कृत्वापसव्यं पूर्वेद्युः पितृपूर्वं निमंत्रयेत् । भवद्भिः पितृकार्यं नः संपाद्यं च प्रसीदथ

Transliteration

kṛtvāpasavyaṃ pūrvedyuḥ pitṛpūrvaṃ nimaṃtrayet | bhavadbhiḥ pitṛkāryaṃ naḥ saṃpādyaṃ ca prasīdatha

Translation

ପୂର୍ବଦିନ ଅପସବ୍ୟ କରି, ପିତୃମାନଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରଥମେ ଧରି (ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନଙ୍କୁ) ନିମନ୍ତ୍ରଣ କରିବ—‘ଆପଣମାନେ ଆମ ପିତୃକାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ସମ୍ପାଦନ କରନ୍ତୁ ଓ ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ ହୁଅନ୍ତୁ।’

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकाले

• अपसव्यम्: the apasavya (leftward/contrary) arrangement/position
• अपसव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपसव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/कर्म, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष्य (object of कृत्वा)

• पूर्वेद्युः: on the previous day
• पूर्वेद्युः: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वेद्युस् (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + एद्युस्)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पितृपूर्वम्: beginning with the Pitṛs
• पितृपूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण—क्रमे (first the Pitṛs)

• निमन्त्रयेत्: should invite
• निमन्त्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: नि

• भवद्भिः: by you (honored ones)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया/करण, बहुवचन; आदरार्थ बहुवचन (honorific plural)

• पितृकार्यम्: the rite/duty for the ancestors
• पितृकार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/कर्ता (predicate-noun), एकवचन

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध (6th case), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक

• संपाद्यम्: to be accomplished
• संपाद्यम्: Karya (Obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√पद्/√पाद् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय—‘कर्तव्यम्’

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रसीदथ: be pleased/show favor
• प्रसीदथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder, sacred thread shifted for apasavya, stands with folded hands before invited brāhmaṇas; behind them, an unseen presence of Pitṛs is suggested by subtle ancestral silhouettes or a pitṛ-tarpaṇa vessel; the setting hints at Prabhāsa’s coastal sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ worship is approached with humility and order—first honoring the ancestors, then requesting qualified officiants to complete the rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the narrative setting, though the instruction is generally applicable to śrāddha performance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do apasavya on the prior day and formally invite participants/officiants with a pitṛ-first intention and a respectful formula.