Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अपि स्यात्स कुलेऽस्माकं खड्गमांसेन यः सकृत् । श्राद्धं कुर्यात्प्रयत्नेन कालशाकेन वा पुनः

Transliteration

api syātsa kule'smākaṃ khaḍgamāṃsena yaḥ sakṛt | śrāddhaṃ kuryātprayatnena kālaśākena vā punaḥ

Translation

کاش ہمارے خاندان میں کوئی ایسا ہو جو ایک بار بھی پوری کوشش سے شرادھ کرے—خواہ خڈگ کے گوشت سے یا پھر کالشاک کی ساگ سے۔

Word by Word

• api: perhaps
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना-अव्ययम् (perhaps/even)

• syāt: may there be
• syāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• kule: in the family
• kule: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• asmākam: of us / our
• asmākam: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• khaḍga-māṃsena: with swordfish meat
• khaḍga-māṃsena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक) + māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (खड्गस्य मांसम्)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: once)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• prayatnena: with effort
• prayatnena: Karaṇa (Means/Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; साधनभावः (manner)

• kāla-śākena: with dark greens (vegetable)
• kāla-śākena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + śāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः (कालेन/कृष्णं शाकम्—‘dark greens’)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive: or)

• punaḥ: again / alternatively
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति/पुनः-अव्ययम् (adverb: again/also)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goṣpada

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā (addressed as 'O fair-faced one' in the immediate passage context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a sandy coastal tīrtha performs śrāddha with humble offerings—greens and a small portion of meat—before a pitṛ-altar, with elders’ unseen presence implied by subtle light and hovering lotuses.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs (implied)
• Goṣpada context (from prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

What matters is sincere performance of pitṛ-rites; even a single earnest Śrāddha can bring great ancestral benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The immediate context is Goṣpada tīrtha in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where acts for Pitṛs are especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Śrāddha with effort (prayatna), with specified offering options such as khaḍga-māṃsa or kālaśāka.