Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

पितृदेवमनुष्याणां कृत्वा ह्युदकतर्पणम् । मन्दिरे देवदेवस्य ततः पूजां समाचरेत्

Transliteration

pitṛdevamanuṣyāṇāṃ kṛtvā hyudakatarpaṇam | mandire devadevasya tataḥ pūjāṃ samācaret

Translation

Nachdem er Udaka-Tarpaṇa, Wasserlibationen, den Ahnen, den Göttern und den Menschen dargebracht hat, soll er sodann im Tempel des Gottes der Götter die Verehrung ordnungsgemäß vollziehen.

Word by Word

• पितृदेवमनुष्याणाम्: of the Pitṛs, gods, and humans
• पितृदेवमनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + देव + मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः—पितरः च देवाः च मनुष्याः च, तेषाम्

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle)

• उदकतर्पणम्: water-libation (tarpana)
• उदकतर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—उदकेन तर्पणम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• मन्दिरे: in the temple
• मन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देवानां देवः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक (then/thereafter)

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha near Sūryamandira

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpasattama (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On riverbank, devotee seated with kuśa grass, offering water in measured pours for pitṛs, devas, and humans; then walking toward the temple of Devadeva with folded hands; priests await at the doorway.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship is complete when it includes gratitude and obligation—toward ancestors, divine powers, and society—before entering formal temple devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse assumes a temple within the Revā Khaṇḍa pilgrimage circuit; the chapter frames temple worship alongside Revā tīrtha observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform udaka-tarpaṇa for pitṛs, devas, and humans, then proceed to temple pūjā of the supreme deity.