Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

एकेनापि हि विप्रेण षट्पिण्डं श्राद्धमाचरेत् । षडर्घ्यान्पारयेत्तत्र तेभ्यो दद्याद्यथाविधि

Transliteration

ekenāpi hi vipreṇa ṣaṭpiṇḍaṃ śrāddhamācaret | ṣaḍarghyānpārayettatra tebhyo dadyādyathāvidhi

Translation

اگر صرف ایک ہی برہمن بھی ہو تو چھ پِنڈوں والا شرادھ کرنا چاہیے۔ وہاں چھ اَرغیہ پورے کرے، پھر قاعدے کے مطابق اسی کو دان دے۔

Word by Word

• ekena: with one (single)
• ekena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); used with 'vipreṇa'

• api: even
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) meaning 'even/also'

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Causal emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) giving reason/emphasis

• vipreṇa: by/with a brāhmaṇa
• vipreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ṣaṭpiṇḍam: (a śrāddha) with six piṇḍas
• ṣaṭpiṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu compound: 'ṣaṭ piṇḍāḥ' → 'ṣaṭpiṇḍam' (having six piṇḍas)

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

• ācaret: should perform
• ācaret: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√car (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• ṣaḍarghyān: six arghya offerings
• ṣaḍarghyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); dvigu: 'ṣaṭ arghyāḥ' (six arghya-offerings)

• pārayet: should complete/perform fully
• pārayet: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pṝ/√pār (धातु; causative sense 'to complete/carry through')
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tatra: there/in that rite
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• tebhyaḥ: to them
• tebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yathāvidhi: according to the prescribed rule
• yathāvidhi: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā + vidhi (अव्यय + प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound functioning as adverb; meaning 'according to rule'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone brāhmaṇa sits on a kuśa seat; before him are six rice piṇḍas arranged in order and a row of vessels for six arghyas; the yajamāna offers water with sesame, then presents dakṣiṇā.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Vipra
• Ṣaṭpiṇḍa
• Arghya
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-rites remain valid even with minimal arrangements when performed with correct form and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra; the māhātmya supports pilgrims by giving workable śrāddha procedures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

With only one brāhmaṇa available, perform ṣaṭpiṇḍa śrāddha, offer six arghyas, and give the proper gifts/dakṣiṇā as enjoined.