Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 141

Devanagari script

एवं पिंडादिपूजा च सर्वमत्रैव दृश्यते । कथमेवं स्म मन्यामः पित्राद्यैरुपभुज्यते

Transliteration

evaṃ piṃḍādipūjā ca sarvamatraiva dṛśyate | kathamevaṃ sma manyāmaḥ pitrādyairupabhujyate

Translation

وكذلك تُرى عبادةُ قُرابينِ البيṇḍa وما سواها كلُّها باقيةً هنا بعينها—فكيف نفهم أنها تُستمتع حقًّا لدى البِتْرِ (Pitṛs) وغيرهم؟

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: रीति/प्रकार (Manner adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this way)

• पिण्ड-आदि-पूजा: worship of piṇḍa etc.
• पिण्ड-आदि-पूजा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डादीनां पूजा)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• सर्वम्: all (this)
• सर्वम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: देशाधिकरण (Locative adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: रीति/प्रकार (Manner adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus)

• स्म: indeed/then (particle)
• स्म: निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (particle; often with past/reflective nuance)

• मन्यामः: we think/suppose
• मन्यामः: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पितृ-आद्यैः: by the ancestors and others
• पितृ-आद्यैः: करण/कर्तृ (Agent in passive; instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पितरः आदयः येषां ते)

• उपभुज्यते: is enjoyed/consumed
• उपभुज्यते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: उप-

Speaker

Unspecified questioner (listener in the dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king points to piṇḍas and offerings remaining in the ritual space and asks how Pitṛs ‘consume’ them. The scene foregrounds ritual objects: piṇḍas, kuśa, water, and offering plates.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Visible offerings are not the whole story; the Purāṇic view points to subtle transfer and unseen fruition of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa-related worship/offerings as part of Śrāddha.