Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

पिता पितामहाद्याश्च पितृके मातृके तथा । पिण्डोदकेन चैकेन तर्पणेन विशेषतः

Transliteration

pitā pitāmahādyāśca pitṛke mātṛke tathā | piṇḍodakena caikena tarpaṇena viśeṣataḥ

Translation

পিতা, পিতামহ প্রভৃতি—পিতৃকুল ও মাতৃকুল উভয় দিকের—একটিমাত্র পিণ্ড ও জলদানে, বিশেষত তर्पণে, তৃপ্ত হন।

Word by Word

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• पितामहाद्याः: grandfather and others
• पितामहाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; पितामह-आदयः (group ‘grandfather etc.’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पितृके: in the paternal line/side
• पितृके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘पितृक’ = पितृसम्बन्धि (paternal side)

• मातृके: in the maternal line/side
• मातृके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘मातृक’ = मातृसम्बन्धि (maternal side)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'likewise')

• पिण्डोदकेन: with the rice-ball and water
• पिण्डोदकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (piṇḍa + udaka)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एकेन: with one (single offering)
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; पिण्डोदकेन इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तर्पणेन: by the libation/oblatory satisfaction rite
• तर्पणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'especially')

Speaker

Tīrtha-māhātmya narrator (contextual; likely a sage addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha śrāddha/tarpaṇa (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close ritual detail: hands offering a single rice-ball piṇḍa and pouring water with sesame; subtle presence of ancestral figures (father, grandfather, maternal ancestors) receiving satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Mātṛs (maternal ancestors)
• Piṇḍa
• Tarpaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral gratitude is comprehensive: dharma honors both paternal and maternal lines through simple yet potent offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing context is the Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha (Gayāśiras), where such offerings are praised as highly effective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer piṇḍa and water, and perform tarpaṇa—emphasizing that even a single, properly done offering can satisfy ancestors.