Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

कुर्वञ्छ्राद्धं च तीर्थेस्मिञ्छ्रद्धयोद्धरतेखिलान् । गयायां पिंडदानेन यथा तुप्यंति पूर्वजाः

Transliteration

kurvañchrāddhaṃ ca tīrthesmiñchraddhayoddharatekhilān | gayāyāṃ piṃḍadānena yathā tupyaṃti pūrvajāḥ

Translation

এই তীর্থে শ্রদ্ধাসহকারে শ্রাদ্ধ করলে সে সকলেরই উদ্ধার সাধন করে—যেমন গয়ায় পিণ্ডদানে পূর্বপুরুষেরা তৃপ্ত হন।

Word by Word

• कुर्वन्: doing/performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (वेदिक/छान्दस-रूपे ‘तीर्थे’ = तीर्थे/तीर्थेऽस्मिन्)

• अस्मिन्: in this (place)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• उद्धरते: rescues/lifts up
• उद्धरते: Kriya (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• अखिलान्: all (of them)
• अखिलान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पिंडदानेन: by the offering of piṇḍas
• पिंडदानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डस्य दानम्)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (उपमान/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• तुप्यन्ति: are satisfied
• तुप्यन्ति: Kriya (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुप्/तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; पाठभेदे ‘तृप्यन्ति’

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वे जाताः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candroda (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concluding phala-śruti tableau: the pilgrim completes śrāddha at the Kāśī tīrtha; in a visionary overlay, Gayā’s sacred landscape appears—Vishnupada-like symbolism and pitṛs receiving satisfaction—signifying equivalence of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Candroda-tīrtha
• Gayā
• pūrvajāḥ (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful śrāddha at a praised tīrtha has far-reaching salvific power for one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha under discussion is Candroda in Kāśī, compared in efficacy to Gayā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at the tīrtha with śraddhā; piṇḍa-offering is highlighted by analogy with Gayā.