Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

अर्वाक्सपिंडीकरणं यस्य वर्षाच्च वा कृतम् । प्रेतत्वमपि तस्यापि प्रोक्तं संवत्सरं धुवम्

Transliteration

arvāksapiṃḍīkaraṇaṃ yasya varṣācca vā kṛtam | pretatvamapi tasyāpi proktaṃ saṃvatsaraṃ dhuvam

Translation

ஒருவரின் சபிண்டீகரணம் ஆண்டு நிறைவதற்கு முன்பே செய்யப்பட்டாலும், அவருக்கும் பிரேதநிலை நிச்சயமாக ஒரு ஆண்டு வரை நீடிக்கும் என்று கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Word by Word

• अर्वाक्-सपिण्डीकरणम्: the earlier performance of sapiṇḍīkaraṇa
• अर्वाक्-सपिण्डीकरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arvāk + sapiṇḍīkaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; 'अर्वाक्' (before/earlier) + 'सपिण्डीकरण' (funerary rite of making one a sapiṇḍa)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक — 'of whom/whose'

• वर्षात्: from a year (i.e., before a year)
• वर्षात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — 'and'

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पबोधक) — 'or'

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धाातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'done/performed'

• प्रेतत्वम्: the state of being a preta
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta + tva (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state of being a preta)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — 'also/even'

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; 'of him/of that'

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — 'also/even'

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√vac (धाातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'said/declared'

• संवत्सरम्: for a year
• संवत्सरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃvatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अव्यभिचारि/निश्चित (certain)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family performing sapiṇḍīkaraṇa and annual śrāddha; the departed shown as a subtle preta-form lingering for a year, receiving piṇḍa and water offerings; a calendar wheel marking twelve months.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual performance has prescribed cosmic timing; certain transitions are said to mature only with time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; this is a śrāddha-related doctrinal statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is mentioned along with a rule about timing relative to the first year after death.