Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तस्य केशा निपतिता भूमौ काशत्वमागताः । तस्मान्मेध्याः सदा काशाः श्राद्धकर्मणि पूजिताः

Transliteration

tasya keśā nipatitā bhūmau kāśatvamāgatāḥ | tasmānmedhyāḥ sadā kāśāḥ śrāddhakarmaṇi pūjitāḥ

Translation

เส้นผมของท่านร่วงลงสู่พื้นดินแล้วกลายเป็นหญ้ากาศะ (kāśa). เพราะเหตุนั้นหญ้ากาศะจึงบริสุทธิ์เสมอ และได้รับการเคารพบูชาในพิธีศราทธะ

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• केशाः: hairs
• केशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• निपतिताः: fallen down
• निपतिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्तः (Past participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; केशाः इति पदस्य विशेषणवत्

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• काशत्वम्: the state of being kāśa-grass
• काशत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशत्व (प्रातिपदिक; काश + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• आगताः: became/attained
• आगताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (Past participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; केशाः इति कर्तरि

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• मेध्याः: pure/fit for rites
• मेध्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; काशाः इति विशेषणम्

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• काशाः: kāśa-grasses
• काशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• श्राद्धकर्मणि: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्धकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्राद्धस्य कर्म)

• पूजिताः: are worshipped/honoured
• पूजिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; काशाः इति कर्तरि (कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pitṛ-tīrtha materials at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary moment: Prajāpati Bahukeśa’s abundant hair falls to earth and transforms into shimmering kāśa grass; priests gather the grass reverently for śrāddha, with the sea and temple horizon of Prabhāsa behind.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśa grass
• Prajāpati (implied from prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity in ritual is not merely physical; it is rooted in sacred origin-stories that consecrate materials for dhārmic use.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs in Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya while detailing proper Śrāddha arrangements in the sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use and honor kāśa grass as a pure (medhya) material in Śrāddha rites.