Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

यस्य नैव प्रदत्तानि एकोद्दिष्टानि षोडश । मृतस्य न वृषोत्सर्गः स प्रेतो जायते नरः

Transliteration

yasya naiva pradattāni ekoddiṣṭāni ṣoḍaśa | mṛtasya na vṛṣotsargaḥ sa preto jāyate naraḥ

Translation

ผู้ซึ่งมิได้ถวายเครื่องบูชาเอกอดิษฏะทั้งสิบหกประการ และหลังความตายมิได้ประกอบพิธีวฤโษตสรรคะ (ปล่อยโคเพศผู้) —ผู้นั้นย่อมเกิดเป็นเปรต

Word by Word

• यस्य: of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (only/indeed)

• प्रदत्तानि: (things) given/offered
• प्रदत्तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु) + दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (given)

• एकोद्दिष्टानि: ekoddiṣṭa offerings (funeral śrāddha rites)
• एकोद्दिष्टानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-उद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषप्रायः (एकं उद्दिष्टं—एकोद्दिष्ट-श्राद्धादि)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम् (षोडशानि)

• मृतस्य: of the deceased
• मृतस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (one who has died)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• वृषोत्सर्गः: the release/donation of a bull (vṛṣotsarga rite)
• वृषोत्सर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष-उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषस्य उत्सर्गः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रेतः: a preta
• प्रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Preta(s) (as narrators/instructors within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gautama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha scene on the Prabhāsa shore: a son offers piṇḍas and water (tilodaka) to a departed ancestor; a bull is ceremonially released with a garland; the ancestor’s form transitions from a restless preta-shadow to a serene pitṛ-figure.

Characters & Entities

• Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha
• Vṛṣotsarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper funerary duties (pitṛ-karmas) are portrayed as essential for the departed to attain peace and not remain as a restless preta.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the narrative setting, where correct śrāddha-related observances are emphasized within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the sixteen ekoddiṣṭa offerings and the vṛṣotsarga rite for the deceased as part of prescribed post-death rites.