Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

त्रिस्रोतसं समासाद्य सकृत्पिंडान्ददाति यः । उद्धृताः पितरस्तेन भवांभोधेस्तिलोदकैः

Transliteration

trisrotasaṃ samāsādya sakṛtpiṃḍāndadāti yaḥ | uddhṛtāḥ pitarastena bhavāṃbhodhestilodakaiḥ

Translation

من بلغ ذاتَ الجداول الثلاث (الغانغا) وقدّم قُرابينَ البيṇḍa ولو مرةً واحدة، فإنّه بذلك الفعل، وبسكب ماءٍ ممزوجٍ بالسمسم، يرفع أسلافه من محيط الوجود الدنيوي.

Word by Word

• त्रिस्रोतसम्: the three-streamed (Gaṅgā)
• त्रिस्रोतसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (three-streamed river = Gaṅgā)

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्ययभाव (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/संख्या-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: once)

• पिण्डान्: rice-balls (funeral offerings)
• पिण्डान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• उद्धृताः: are lifted/rescued
• उद्धृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-√हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicative)

• पितरः: ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तेन: by him / by that (act)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (by him/thereby)

• भवाम्भोधेः: of the ocean of saṃsāra
• भवाम्भोधेः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + अम्भोधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ocean of worldly existence)

• तिलोदकैः: with sesame-water offerings
• तिलोदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (water with sesame)

Speaker

Skanda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trisrotas/Trisrotasī Gaṅgā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reaches the three-streamed Gaṅgā and offers piṇḍas once; with sesame-water oblations, the ancestors are lifted from the ocean of saṃsāra.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā (Trisrotas)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate duty to one’s ancestors is amplified at tīrthas; a single sincere offering at Gaṅgā is portrayed as powerfully liberating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā as Trisrotas (the Three-Streamed sacred river), central to Kāśī’s rites for pitṛs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Approach Gaṅgā and perform piṇḍa-dāna (even once) along with tilodaka (sesame-water) offerings for ancestors.