Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

मा स्म ते प्रतिगच्छेयुः पर्वकाले ह्यपूजिताः । मोघास्तेषां भवन्त्वाशाः परत्रेह च मा क्वचित्

Transliteration

mā sma te pratigaccheyuḥ parvakāle hyapūjitāḥ | moghāsteṣāṃ bhavantvāśāḥ paratreha ca mā kvacit

Translation

Chớ để các Pitṛ trở về từ nơi ngươi vào những kỳ parva thiêng, khi chưa được tôn thờ. Nếu không được cúng kính đúng pháp, mọi kỳ vọng của họ sẽ thành hư không—cả ở đời sau lẫn ngay đời này.

Word by Word

• mā: do not
• mā: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• sma: indeed/just
• sma: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (particle; emphasis/continuity)

• te: of you/your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• pratigaccheyuḥ: should go back/return
• pratigaccheyuḥ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati√gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/prohibitive sense with mā), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural); परस्मैपद

• parva-kāle: at the time of a festival/holy day
• parva-kāle: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvan + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (parvaṇāṃ kālaḥ)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• apūjitāḥ: unworshipped/unhonoured
• apūjitāḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + pūjita (कृदन्त; √pūj धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन; नञ्-प्रत्यय (negation)

• moghāḥ: fruitless
• moghāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mogha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• bhavantu: let (them) be
• bhavantu: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• āśāḥ: hopes
• āśāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• paratra: in the next world
• paratra: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paratra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in the other world/thereafter)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• mā: not
• mā: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• kvacit: anywhere/ever
• kvacit: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narration style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pitṛs arrive at parva-time but turn back unhonored; the householder stands remorseful; the scene contrasts a lit ritual space versus an unprepared, darkened altar—emphasizing missed duty and compassion for the disappointed ancestors.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Parva-kāla (sacred occasions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not neglect Pitṛ worship at appointed sacred times; omission nullifies the intended benefit and relationship of support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, emphasizing Prabhāsa as a key venue for parva-time pitṛ rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform proper pūjā/śrāddha for the Pitṛs at parva-kāla (ritual festival occasions) so they are not ‘sent back’ unhonored.