Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यः कश्चित्कुरुते श्राद्धं पितॄनुद्दिश्य भक्तितः । उद्धरेच्च पितुर्वर्गं मातुर्वर्गं नरोत्तमः

Transliteration

yaḥ kaścitkurute śrāddhaṃ pitṝnuddiśya bhaktitaḥ | uddharecca piturvargaṃ māturvargaṃ narottamaḥ

Translation

ผู้ใดก็ตามประกอบศราทธะ (śrāddha) ด้วยศรัทธา อุทิศแด่ปิตฤ (Pitṛ) ทั้งหลาย บุรุษผู้ประเสริฐนั้นย่อมยกขึ้นและเกื้อกูลทั้งวงศ์ฝ่ายบิดาและวงศ์ฝ่ายมารดา

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine pronoun)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (‘someone/anyone’)

• कुरुते: does; performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• उद्दिश्य: having dedicated (it) to
• उद्दिश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/तुमुन्-समकक्ष-क्त्वान्त-रूप (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having intended/aimed at; addressing’

• भक्तितः: with devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/Manner/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘from/with devotion’)

• उद्धरेत्: should uplift; should deliver
• उद्धरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• वर्गम्: lineage; group
• वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• वर्गम्: lineage; group
• वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• नरोत्तमः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (‘best of men’)

Speaker

Unspecified (within the Guptaprayāga-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptaprayāga

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank at a hidden sangam, a devotee performs śrāddha: offering piṇḍas, tila and water; brāhmaṇas seated for bhojana; subtle presence of Pitṛs receiving offerings; maternal and paternal ancestral lines symbolically represented.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional śrāddha offered to the Pitṛs is portrayed as a powerful dharmic act that benefits one’s entire ancestral continuum.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Guptaprayāga-māhātmya section of Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing śrāddha—ancestral offerings—specifically dedicated to the Pitṛs, done with bhakti (devotion).