Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

पूर्णमास्याममावास्यां स्नात्वा तु पितृतर्पणम् । यः करोति तिलैः स्नानं तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु

Transliteration

pūrṇamāsyāmamāvāsyāṃ snātvā tu pitṛtarpaṇam | yaḥ karoti tilaiḥ snānaṃ tasya puṇyaphalaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

في يوم البدر ويوم المحاق، من اغتسل ثم قدّم تَرْبَنَةً للآباء (Pitṛs) واغتسل بالسمسم—فاسمع ثمرة هذا العمل من البرّ والفضل.

Word by Word

• पूर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पूर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done)

• तु: indeed/and then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• पितृतर्पणम्: offering (libation) to the ancestors
• पितृतर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां तर्पणम्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पुण्यफलम्: meritorious result
• पुण्यफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (पुण्यं फलम् / पुण्यस्य फलम्)

• शृणु: hear (listen)
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva) (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a riverbank on amāvāsyā/pūrṇimā: dawn light, calm Revā waters, offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; sesame seeds and darbha grass visible; subtle presence of satisfied pitṛs in the ether.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛ (ancestors)
• Pūrṇimā
• Amāvāsyā
• Tila (sesame)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring ancestors through tarpaṇa, especially on sacred lunar days, is a powerful dharmic act that increases merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Revā-khaṇḍa tīrtha framework; the immediate focus is on timing (pūrṇimā/amāvāsyā) and pitṛ rites rather than a single named spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna, pitṛ-tarpaṇa, and tila-snāna performed on pūrṇimā and amāvāsyā.