Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तर्पणात्पिंडदानाच्च नरकेष्वपि संस्थिताः । स्वर्गं प्रयांति पितरः सुपुत्रेण हि तारिताः

Transliteration

tarpaṇātpiṃḍadānācca narakeṣvapi saṃsthitāḥ | svargaṃ prayāṃti pitaraḥ suputreṇa hi tāritāḥ

Translation

以祭水供养（tarpaṇa）与团食供献（piṇḍa）之力，祖先纵使堕于地狱境界，亦得升天；皆由贤善之子真实救度。

Word by Word

• तर्पणात्: from (the act of) libation/oblations
• तर्पणात्: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादान (neuter, ablative singular)

• पिण्डदानात्: from offering funeral rice-balls
• पिण्डदानात्: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभावः ‘पिण्डस्य दानम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ (neuter, ablative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नरकेषु: in hells
• नरकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; अधिकरण (masculine, locative plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• संस्थिताः: situated, dwelling
• संस्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘पितरः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (masculine, nominative plural)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (masculine, accusative singular)

• प्रयान्ति: go forth, attain
• प्रयान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (present, 3rd person plural)

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्ता (masculine, nominative plural)

• सुपुत्रेण: by a good son
• सुपुत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृकरण (masculine, instrumental singular)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तारिताः: delivered, rescued
• तारिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तॄ (धातु) → तारित (णिच् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (causative past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘पितरः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (masculine, nominative plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (pitṛ-kārya sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a river/sea-edge ghat, a son performs tarpaṇa with cupped hands and offers piṇḍas on darbha; faintly, ancestors rise from a dark realm toward a bright heavenly path.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Tarpaṇa
• Piṇḍadāna
• Svarga
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Filial dharma expressed through pitṛ-rites has salvific power, capable of uplifting ancestors from severe conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the tīrtha-praise in Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, implying special potency of pitṛ-rites at Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa (water-libations) and piṇḍadāna (funerary offerings) for ancestors.