Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

पिण्डदानेन चैकेन विधियुक्तेन भारत । द्वादशाब्दानि तुष्यन्ति पितरो नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

piṇḍadānena caikena vidhiyuktena bhārata | dvādaśābdāni tuṣyanti pitaro nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

O Bhārata, durch eine einzige Piṇḍa-Darbringung, die gemäß der vorgeschriebenen Ordnung vollzogen wird, sind die Ahnen zwölf Jahre lang zufrieden — daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• पिण्डदानेन: by the offering of a piṇḍa (rice-ball)
• पिण्डदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (piṇḍasya dānena); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instr sg)

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

• एकेन: with one (single)
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन (instr sg)

• विधियुक्तेन: performed according to rule
• विधियुक्तेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (vidhinā yuktena = accompanied by proper rite); पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन (instr sg)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (voc sg)

• द्वादशाब्दानि: twelve years
• द्वादशाब्दानि: Karma (Extent/परिमाण-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (dvādaśa-abdāni = twelve years); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (nom/acc pl)

• तुष्यन्ति: become satisfied
• तुष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd pl): are satisfied

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom pl)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom sg)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (contextually Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya addressing the King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Skanda-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed; likely the king in Bharata lineage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist prepares rice-balls (piṇḍas) on darbha grass near the river, offering them with mantras; an unseen ancestral realm receives satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Bhārata (address to the listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A correctly performed rite (vidhi) magnifies merit; even a single proper offering can yield long-lasting ancestral blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context continues the praise of Skanda-tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing one vidhi-compliant piṇḍa-dāna (piṇḍa offering) for the Pitṛs.