Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

दर्भाग्रं दैवमित्युक्तं समूलाग्रं तु पैतृकम् । तत्रावलंबिनो ये तु कुशास्ते कुतपाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

darbhāgraṃ daivamityuktaṃ samūlāgraṃ tu paitṛkam | tatrāvalaṃbino ye tu kuśāste kutapāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

ปลายหญ้าดัรภะ (darbha) ถูกประกาศว่าเหมาะแก่พิธีของเทพ; แต่ดัรภะที่ใช้ทั้งโคนและปลายกำหนดไว้สำหรับพิธีบรรพชน และใบกุศะ (kuśa) ที่ห้อยลงด้านล่างนั้น เรียกว่า “กุศะกุตปะ (kutapa)”

Word by Word

• दर्भाग्रम्: the tip of darbha-grass
• दर्भाग्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; दर्भस्य अग्रं (tip of darbha)

• दैवम्: divine (pertaining to gods)
• दैवम्: Predicate Nominative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विधेय-समानााधिकरणम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-अव्ययम् (quotative)

• उक्तम्: is said
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः, नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• समूलाग्रम्: (darbha) with root and tip (whole piece)
• समूलाग्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-मूल-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; मूलसहितम् अग्रं (tip together with the root/base)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्ययम् (but/indeed)

• पैतृकम्: ancestral (pertaining to pitṛs)
• पैतृकम्: Predicate Nominative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पितृ-सम्बन्धि (ancestral)

• तत्र: there/in that (case)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (there/in that context)

• अवलम्बिनः: hanging down
• अवलम्बिनः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवलम्बिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘hanging/depending’

• ये: which/that (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-सूचकं सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषण-अव्ययम् (indeed)

• कुशाः: kuśa-grass blades
• कुशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• कुतपाः: are called kutapas
• कुतपाः: Predicate Nominative (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुतप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विधेय-समानााधिकरणम्

• स्मृताः: are known/considered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः, पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘are considered/known’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest separates darbha into two bundles: one trimmed to tips for deva rites, another kept with roots for pitṛ rites; a third set of kuśa blades hangs downward labeled ‘kutapa’, laid beside a śrāddha plate.

Characters & Entities

• Darbha/Kuśa grass
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through precision in ritual—using the right form of sacred grass for the right rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose māhātmya these śrāddha-vidhis are taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use darbha tips for deva-rites; use darbha with roots for pitṛ-rites; identify downward-hanging kuśa as ‘kutapa’ for ritual use.