Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

भाजनेषु च तिष्ठत्सु स्वस्तिं कुर्वन्ति ये द्विजाः । तदन्नमसुरैर्भुक्तं निराशाः पितरो गताः

Transliteration

bhājaneṣu ca tiṣṭhatsu svastiṃ kurvanti ye dvijāḥ | tadannamasurairbhuktaṃ nirāśāḥ pitaro gatāḥ

Translation

ପାତ୍ରଗୁଡ଼ିକ ଏପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ତଥାସ୍ଥିତ ଥିବାବେଳେ ଯଦି ଦ୍ୱିଜମାନେ ପୂର୍ବରୁ ‘ସ୍ୱସ୍ତି’ ମଙ୍ଗଳବଚନ କରନ୍ତି, ତେବେ ସେ ଅନ୍ନ ଅସୁରମାନେ ଭୋଗ କରନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ପିତୃମାନେ ନିରାଶ ହୋଇ ପ୍ରସ୍ଥାନ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• bhājaneṣu: in the vessels
• bhājaneṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhājana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन

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

• tiṣṭhatsu: while (they) are placed/standing
• tiṣṭhatsu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), सप्तमी, बहुवचन; नपुंसक/पुं-समासानुगुणम्; ‘स्थितेषु’ इत्यर्थे

• svastim: blessing/auspiciousness
• svastim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svasti (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; मङ्गल-शब्दः

• kurvanti: they do/perform
• kurvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• dvijāḥ: Brahmins (twice-born)
• dvijāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• tad: that
• tad: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अन्नम्)

• annam: food/oblation-food
• annam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• asuraiḥ: by demons/asuras
• asuraiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• bhuktam: eaten/consumed
• bhuktam: Kriya (Result/क्रिया-विशेष)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• nirāśāḥ: hopeless/disappointed
• nirāśāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir- (उपसर्ग) + āśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; निः-उपसर्गयुक्तः (आशा-रहिताः)

• pitaraḥ: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• pitaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• gatāḥ: have gone/departed
• gatāḥ: Kriya (Result/क्रिया-विशेष)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha meal scene: vessels still standing with food; a brāhmaṇa raises hand to say ‘svasti’ too early; shadowy asura figures consume the subtle essence; luminous pitṛ figures turn away with disappointed faces, fading into the background.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Correct sequence matters in dharma; premature completion-signals can nullify the intended recipient of the offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the śrāddha procedure is taught with cautions to protect its fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not utter concluding benedictions (‘svasti’) while the ritual vessels/serving is still in progress; complete the rite in proper order.