Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अतर्पयन्पितॄन्दिव्यान्व्यधुः श्राद्धानि श्रद्धया । धर्मेशं स्नापयामासुस्तत्तीर्थाम्बुभृतैर्घटैः

Transliteration

atarpayanpitṝndivyānvyadhuḥ śrāddhāni śraddhayā | dharmeśaṃ snāpayāmāsustattīrthāmbubhṛtairghaṭaiḥ

Translation

أرضَوا الآباءَ الإلهيّين (Pitṛ) وأقاموا شعائرَ الشرادها (śrāddha) بإيمانٍ وخشوع؛ ثم أجرَوا لِـ«دهرميشفرا» (Dharmaśvara) طقسَ السكب المقدّس (abhiṣeka) بجرارٍ مملوءةٍ من ماء ذلك التيرثا (tīrtha).

Word by Word

• atarpayan: they satisfied
• atarpayan: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in context ‘satisfied’

• pitṝn: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• pitṝn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• divyān: divine
• divyān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• vyadhuḥ: they performed
• vyadhuḥ: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘performed/did’

• śrāddhāni: śrāddha rites
• śrāddhāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• dharma-īśam: the Lord of Dharma
• dharma-īśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• snāpayāmāsuḥ: they bathed (him) / caused to bathe
• snāpayāmāsuḥ: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative) + लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘made (him) bathe’

• tat-tīrtha-ambu-bhṛtaiḥ: filled with water from that tīrtha
• tat-tīrtha-ambu-bhṛtaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ghaṭaiḥ/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad + tīrtha + ambu + bhṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (‘bearing water of that tīrtha’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ghaṭaiḥ: with pots
• ghaṭaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages perform tarpaṇa with cupped hands, then conduct śrāddha offerings; nearby, a Śiva-liṅga (Dharmaśvara) receives abhiṣeka from kalashas filled with Dharma-tīrtha water; atmosphere is solemn and auspicious.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Śrāddha
• Tarpaṇa
• Dharmaśvara
• Dharmatīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī harmonizes duties to ancestors (pitṛ-dharma) with devotion to Śiva, presenting both as mutually elevating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmatīrtha/Dharma-tīrtha at Dharmapīṭha, whose waters are used for rites and for bathing Dharmaśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa to Pitṛs, śrāddha performed with faith, and abhiṣeka/snāpana of Dharmaśvara using pots of tīrtha-water.