Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ऋषिधान्येन यस्तत्र श्राद्धं नृप समाचरेत् । स पितृंस्तारयेत्सर्वान्पक्षयोरुभयोरपि

Transliteration

ṛṣidhānyena yastatra śrāddhaṃ nṛpa samācaret | sa pitṛṃstārayetsarvānpakṣayorubhayorapi

Translation

O hari, ang sinumang magsagawa roon ng śrāddha gamit ang ‘butil ng ṛṣi’ (banal na butil na kaugnay ng mga pantas) ay makapagliligtas sa lahat ng ninuno—sa dalawang kalahati ng buwan, maliwanag at madilim.

Word by Word

• ऋषिधान्येन: with sage-grain (a sacred grain)
• ऋषिधान्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, instrumental singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Pronoun, masculine nominative singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — indeclinable adverb of place

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, accusative singular

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, vocative singular

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Pronoun, masculine nominative singular

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, accusative plural

• तारयेत्: should deliver/save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person singular

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, accusative plural; विशेषण (to पितॄन्)

• पक्षयोः: in (both) fortnights
• पक्षयोः: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचन — Masculine, genitive/locative dual

• उभयोः: of both
• उभयोः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी, द्विवचन — Genitive/locative dual; विशेषण (to पक्षयोः)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-भाव) — indeclinable particle

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vasiṣṭhāśrama-tīrtha (Arbuda)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens as a sage describes śrāddha at a forest-hermitage tīrtha; a performer offers piṇḍas and tilodaka near a clear pool, with ascetics and sacred grain vessels present.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-based śrāddha is exalted as a potent act of compassion and duty that uplifts one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha at Vasiṣṭha’s kuṇḍa/area in Arbuda Khaṇḍa, where śrāddha is said to be especially effective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha performed there, specifically using ṛṣi-dhānya (sacred grain), with efficacy in both lunar fortnights.