Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

उपास्य सन्ध्यां तत्रस्थो जपं कृत्वा सुशोभनम् । तर्पयित्वा पितॄन्देवान्मनुष्यांश्च यथाविधि

Transliteration

upāsya sandhyāṃ tatrastho japaṃ kṛtvā suśobhanam | tarpayitvā pitṝndevānmanuṣyāṃśca yathāvidhi

Translation

Dort verweilend, nachdem er die Sandhyā ordnungsgemäß verehrt und einen gar schönen Japa vollzogen hat, und nachdem er Tarpaṇa den Ahnen, den Devas und auch den Menschen dargebracht hat — nach Vorschrift — (wird der Ritus vollendet).

Word by Word

• उपास्य: having worshipped/attended
• उपास्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘उपास्य’ = उपासनं कृत्वा

• सन्ध्याम्: the twilight prayer (sandhyā)
• सन्ध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्रस्थः: staying there
• तत्रस्थः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (तत्र स्थितः)

• जपम्: recitation (japa)
• जपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• सुशोभनम्: very auspicious/beautiful
• सुशोभनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- (उपसर्ग) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; जप-विशेषण (adjectival accusative agreeing with जपम्)

• तर्पयित्वा: having satisfied (by offerings)
• तर्पयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तृप् (धातु) [णिच् causative: तर्पयति] + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोगे क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having satisfied/offered libations’

• पितॄन्: ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• देवान्: gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• मनुष्यांश्: humans
• मनुष्यांश्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• यथाविधि: according to rule
• यथाविधि: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: राजेन्द्र

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At twilight on the Narmadā bank, the pilgrim performs sandhyā facing the sun’s direction, then sits for japa with a mālā; afterward he offers water-libations (añjali) for pitṛs, devas, and humans, with ritual vessels aligned on a cloth.

Characters & Entities

• Sandhyā (twilight rite)
• Pitṛs
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Complete dharma integrates personal discipline (sandhyā, japa) with gratitude and obligation (tarpaṇa to pitṛs, devas, and others).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practices are situated in the Revā/Narmadā tīrtha setting described in Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sandhyā worship, mantra-japa, and tarpaṇa to ancestors, gods, and humans, all performed according to injunction.