Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वं प्रयत्नेन श्राद्धं तत्र समाचरेत् । क्षत्रियश्च विशेषेण य इच्छेच्छत्रुसंक्षयम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaṃ prayatnena śrāddhaṃ tatra samācaret | kṣatriyaśca viśeṣeṇa ya icchecchatrusaṃkṣayam

Translation

Vì thế, hãy dốc mọi nỗ lực mà cử hành lễ śrāddha tại nơi ấy. Và đặc biệt, một kṣatriya—nếu mong kẻ thù bị tiêu diệt—nên thực hành tại thánh địa đó.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Therefore)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे ‘therefore’

• सर्वम्: all/entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘श्राद्धम्’ विशेषयति

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षत्रियः: a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे ‘especially’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject of ‘इच्छेत्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• इच्छेत्: would desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriyā (Verb of relative clause)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शत्रुसंक्षयम्: destruction of enemies
• शत्रुसंक्षयम्: Karma (Object of desire)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘शत्रूणां संक्षयः’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in this isolated verse (within Pulastya–royal dialogue context of Arbuda Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāma-tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting at a tīrtha: brāhmaṇas seated on kuśa mats, offerings arranged (piṇḍa, tila, water), a kṣatriya patron with folded hands, and the tīrtha waters shimmering behind—suggesting both devotion and protective power.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites performed at a praised tīrtha become a potent dharmic support, aligning worldly aims with sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the praised local tīrtha in this section—Rāma-tīrtha within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing śrāddha (rites for ancestors) at that tīrtha, with special emphasis for kṣatriyas seeking the diminution of enemies.