Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

ततस्तै रुधिरैः स्नात्वा समादाय तिलान्बहून् । अपसव्यं समाधाय प्रचक्रे पितृतर्पणम्

Transliteration

tatastai rudhiraiḥ snātvā samādāya tilānbahūn | apasavyaṃ samādhāya pracakre pitṛtarpaṇam

Translation

ثم اغتسل بتلك الدماء، وأخذ كثيرًا من حبّ السمسم؛ ووضع الخيط المقدّس (يَجْنيوپَڤيتا) على هيئة الأپَسَڤْيَة، وأقام طقس التَّرْپَنَة لِلپِتْرِ (الأجداد).

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• तैः: with those
• तैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• रुधिरैः: with blood
• रुधिरैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• समादाय: having taken/collected
• समादाय: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तिलान्: sesame seeds
• तिलान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• अपसव्यम्: the apasavya position (leftward mode)
• अपसव्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपसव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘अपसव्य’ (leftward/with sacred thread on right shoulder) भावः

• समाधाय: having arranged/placed
• समाधाय: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• प्रचक्रे: performed
• प्रचक्रे: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-चर्/कृ (धातु: कृ, लिट् आत्मनेपद)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (चक्रे-रूपम्)

• पितृतर्पणम्: offering of satisfaction to the ancestors
• पितृतर्पणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां तर्पणम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma stands at a ritual spot with vessels and heaps of sesame; his sacred thread is shifted to apasavya as he offers tarpaṇa, while ascetics witness in silence; the ‘blood-bath’ is depicted symbolically (red-tinted water) rather than graphically.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Paraśurāma (implied)
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas stress that ancestral duty (pitṛ-ṛṇa) is discharged through correct rite and intention, especially at sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within this adhyāya’s frame, the rites are performed in connection with Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛtarpaṇa with tila (sesame), performed with the yajñopavīta set apasavya (right-to-left), preceded by snāna (bathing).