Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

पितॄणां वल्लभं तीर्थं पिंडेनैकेन तर्पिताः । ब्रह्मलोकं गमिष्यंति सुपुत्रेणेह तारिताः

Transliteration

pitṝṇāṃ vallabhaṃ tīrthaṃ piṃḍenaikena tarpitāḥ | brahmalokaṃ gamiṣyaṃti suputreṇeha tāritāḥ

Translation

ทีรถะแห่งนี้เป็นที่รักยิ่งของบรรพชน เพียงถวายปิณฑะหนึ่งก้อนก็ทำให้ท่านทั้งหลายอิ่มเอิบ และด้วยบุตรผู้ประเสริฐช่วยเกื้อกูล ณ ที่นี้ ย่อมไปสู่พรหมโลก

Word by Word

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• vallabham: dear/beloved
• vallabham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vallabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with tīrtham (acc./nom. sg. neut.)

• tīrtham: the sacred ford
• tīrtham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (विषय) / द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; here as topic with implied 'is'

• piṃḍena: with a piṇḍa (rice-ball offering)
• piṃḍena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• ekena: with one (single)
• ekena: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; agrees with piṃḍena

• tarpitāḥ: satisfied/propitiated
• tarpitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṛp (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Past passive participle; (they) having been satisfied

• brahmalokam: Brahma-loka
• brahmalokam: Gati/Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः लोकः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (गति/कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular (goal)

• gamiṣyanti: will go
• gamiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; Future, 3rd pl.

• suputreṇa: by a good son
• suputreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सः पुत्रः यः सुः/श्रेष्ठः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• iha: here
• iha: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• tāritāḥ: delivered/saved
• tāritāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṝ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Past passive participle; (they) having been delivered

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a virtuous son offers a single piṇḍa; ancestors appear satisfied, receiving light and ascending toward Brahmaloka, with a serene cosmic lotus-world motif above.

Characters & Entities

• pitṛs (ancestors)
• piṇḍa
• Brahmaloka
• suputra
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving ancestors through śrāddha and piṇḍa at a revered tīrtha is a powerful expression of dharma that brings exalted posthumous welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A pitṛ-beloved tīrtha within Prabhāsa Kṣetra, in the Sarasvatī māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering even a single piṇḍa (piṇḍadāna) to satisfy the pitṛs.