Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

विष्णुस्तु पितृरूपेण ब्रह्मरूपी पितामहः । प्रपितामहो रुद्रोऽभूदेवं त्रिपुरुषाः स्थिताः

Transliteration

viṣṇustu pitṛrūpeṇa brahmarūpī pitāmahaḥ | prapitāmaho rudro'bhūdevaṃ tripuruṣāḥ sthitāḥ

Translation

يقوم فيشنو (Viṣṇu) في صورة الأب، ويقوم براهما (Brahmā) في صورة الجدّ، ويصير رودرا (Rudra) الجدَّ الأكبر؛ وهكذا تُقام الأشخاص الثلاثة من الأسلاف.

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed, and
• तु: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (particle: but/indeed)

• पितृरूपेण: in the form of the father (ancestor)
• पितृरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + रूप (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां रूपम्)

• ब्रह्मरूपी: having the form of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मरूपः)

• पितामहः: grandfather
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रपितामहः: great-grandfather
• प्रपितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अभूत्: became, was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Imperfective past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha/Avyaya (Modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• त्रिपुरुषाः: the three persons
• त्रिपुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः पुरुषाः)

• स्थिताः: stood, were established
• स्थिताः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘having stood/being situated’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: three luminous forms behind the ritual—Viṣṇu as ‘pitṛ’, Brahmā as ‘pitāmaha’, Rudra as ‘prapitāmaha’; in front, a devotee offers tarpaṇa, with the three presences subtly receiving it.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites are linked to cosmic divinity: the lineage of pitṛs is contemplated through Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Śūlabheda-tīrtha context of the Revā Khaṇḍa, framing the tīrtha as a place of pitṛ-satisfaction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A doctrinal prescription for śrāddha contemplation—recognizing divine forms within father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.