Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 125

Devanagari script

एकान्ते तु गृहे गुप्ते पितॄणां श्राद्धमिष्यते । नीचं दृष्ट्वा हतं तत्तु पितॄणां नोपतिष्ठति

Transliteration

ekānte tu gṛhe gupte pitṝṇāṃ śrāddhamiṣyate | nīcaṃ dṛṣṭvā hataṃ tattu pitṝṇāṃ nopatiṣṭhati

Translation

ศราทธะเพื่อบรรพชน (ปิตฤ) ควรกระทำในเรือน ณ ที่สงัด เป็นส่วนตัว และคุ้มครองไว้ หากถูกคนใจต่ำแลเห็น ศราทธะนั้นย่อมเสียหายและไม่ถึงบรรพชน

Word by Word

• एकान्ते: in solitude
• एकान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनम् = Locative singular

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनम् = Locative singular

• गुप्ते: hidden/secret
• गुप्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गुप् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचनम् = Locative singular; विशेषणम् (to ‘gṛhe’)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम् = Genitive plural

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम् = Nominative singular

• इष्यते: is approved/is prescribed
• इष्यते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् = 3rd person singular; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः ‘is approved/desired’

• नीचम्: a low person
• नीचम्: Karman (Object of ‘dṛṣṭvā’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचनम् = Accusative singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having seen

• हतम्: ruined/spoiled
• हतम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; हन् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम् = Nominative singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (understood: śrāddham)

• तत्: that (rite)
• तत्: Anuvṛtti/Pratyāhāra (Anaphoric subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम् = Nominative singular; (refers to śrāddha)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचनम् = Genitive plural

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• उपतिष्ठति: reaches/serves/benefits (is available to)
• उपतिष्ठति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् = 3rd person singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a guarded inner room (gṛha-guhā): a small altar-like setup with kuśa, tila, and water; a curtain or doorway marks privacy; outside, shadowy figures are kept away, emphasizing the protected sanctity of the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha should be done with humility and protected sanctity; publicity and disrespect undermine its spiritual efficacy for the Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, tying ritual correctness to the sacred geography of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Pitṛ-śrāddha in a secluded, guarded place; avoid exposure to contemptuous or base observers.