Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पितरावूचतुः । पूर्वे वयसि पुत्र त्वमावाभ्यां पाल्य एव हि । उत्तरे तु वयं पाल्याः सम्यक्पुत्र त्वया पुनः

Transliteration

pitarāvūcatuḥ | pūrve vayasi putra tvamāvābhyāṃ pālya eva hi | uttare tu vayaṃ pālyāḥ samyakputra tvayā punaḥ

Translation

บิดามารดากล่าวว่า “ลูกเอ๋ย เมื่อเจ้ายังเยาว์วัย เราเป็นผู้เลี้ยงดูเจ้า แต่ครั้นยามชรา เราทั้งสองควรได้รับการอุปถัมภ์จากเจ้าโดยชอบธรรม”

Word by Word

• पितरौ: the two parents
• पितरौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• ऊचतुः: said (the two)
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन

• पूर्वे: in the earlier
• पूर्वे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘पूर्वे (वयसि)’ = in earlier

• वयसि: in (your) age; in youth
• वयसि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आवाभ्याम्: by us two
• आवाभ्याम्: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• पाल्यः: to be protected/cared for
• पाल्यः: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाल्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पाल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थे भाव्य (gerundive/obligatory)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• उत्तरे: in the later
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘उत्तरे (वयसि)’ = in later

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (अत्र द्वयोरपि ‘वयम्’ प्रयोगः)

• पाल्याः: to be cared for
• पाल्याः: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाल्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पाल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भाव्य/तव्यत्-अर्थ (gerundive)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: properly)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुनः: again; in turn
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Parents (mātā-pitarau)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Putra (son)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged mother and father, seated with frail dignity, address their grown son with a gentle yet firm reminder of reciprocal duty; a pilgrim setting is implied by Prabhāsa’s sacred ambience.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Caring for parents is a dharmic duty grounded in reciprocity, but it should be fulfilled through righteous means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, connecting ethical living with the sacred atmosphere of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes a life-duty (seva/care) toward aging parents.