Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

साक्षिणः संतु मे देवा ब्रह्माद्या ऋषिपुंगवाः । मयेदं तीर्थमासाद्य पितॄणां निष्कृतिः कृता

Transliteration

sākṣiṇaḥ saṃtu me devā brahmādyā ṛṣipuṃgavāḥ | mayedaṃ tīrthamāsādya pitṝṇāṃ niṣkṛtiḥ kṛtā

Translation

ขอเหล่าเทพ—มีพระพรหมเป็นต้น—และมหาฤๅษีผู้ประเสริฐทั้งหลาย จงเป็นพยานแก่ข้าพเจ้า: เมื่อข้าพเจ้ามาถึงทิรถะแห่งนี้แล้ว ได้ประกอบการชดใช้และการปลดเปลื้องเพื่อบรรพชนของข้าพเจ้าแล้ว

Word by Word

• साक्षिणः: witnesses
• साक्षिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• सन्तु: let them be
• सन्तु: Kriya (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मे: of me, my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive: of me/my)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘साक्षिणः’ इत्यस्य अपि समनाधिकरणम्

• ब्रह्माद्याः: beginning with Brahmā
• ब्रह्माद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘देवाः’); तत्पुरुषः—ब्रह्मा आदिः येषां ते (Brahmā and others)

• ऋषिपुंगवाः: foremost sages
• ऋषिपुंगवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—ऋषीणां पुंगवाः (best of sages)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (instrumental: by me)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘तीर्थम्’)

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha, sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘आसाद्य’ = having reached/approached

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• निष्कृतिः: expiation, redemption
• निष्कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृता: done, accomplished
• कृता: Kriya (Predicative completion)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘निष्कृतिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/विधेय (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Ritual performer (the śrāddha-doer speaking a declaration at the tīrtha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goṣpada-tīrtha (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The performer stands with folded hands at the water’s edge, facing the tīrtha, uttering a solemn declaration; above, subtle ethereal forms of Brahmā and other devas and ṛṣis appear as witnesses; offered piṇḍas and ritual items remain in the foreground.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Ṛṣis
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One should anchor sacred rites in truth and accountability—invoking divine witnesses affirms sincerity in serving the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement is made after reaching the tīrtha described in this chapter—Goṣpada Tīrtha in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal declaration (saṅkalpa-like witness-invocation) that pitṛ expiation has been completed upon arriving at the tīrtha.