Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

धर्मक्षेत्रे तु संप्राप्य श्राद्धं कुर्यादतंद्रितः । तस्य संवत्सरं यावत्तृप्ताः स्युः पितरो धुवम्

Transliteration

dharmakṣetre tu saṃprāpya śrāddhaṃ kuryādataṃdritaḥ | tasya saṃvatsaraṃ yāvattṛptāḥ syuḥ pitaro dhuvam

Translation

抵达法田Dharmakṣetra——法之圣域——当不懈怠而行施食祭Śrāddha。由此功德，诸祖灵Pitṛ必定满足，长达整整一年。

Word by Word

• धर्मक्षेत्रे: in a sacred field/place of dharma
• धर्मक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (धर्मस्य क्षेत्रम्)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषण/विरोधबोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• संप्राप्य: having reached
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘संप्राप्य’ = having reached/attained

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

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अतन्द्रितः: diligent, untiring
• अतन्द्रितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + तन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्तृपदस्य); ‘अतन्द्रितः’ = not lazy, diligent

• तस्य: of that (rite/person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• संवत्सरम्: for a year
• संवत्सरम्: Karma (Extent of time/कालपरिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)

• यावत्: as long as, until
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Limit/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिबोधक-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• तृप्ताः: satisfied
• तृप्ताः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पितरः)

• स्युः: may be, should be
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• पितरः: the ancestors (manes)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Certainty/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययवत् (adverb: certainly)

Speaker

Unspecified (tīrtha-śrāddha instruction within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied king (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a sacred field near a water source, a householder performs śrāddha: offering piṇḍas on darbha, pouring water for tarpana, with brāhmaṇas seated for feeding; a subtle presence of satisfied pitṛs in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmakṣetra
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring ancestors through correctly performed rites is a key form of dharma, especially when done at sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmakṣetra, presented as a sanctified locale where śrāddha becomes especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha diligently at Dharmakṣetra to ensure the ancestors’ satisfaction for one year.