Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पौर्णमास्याममावास्यां स्नात्वा पिण्डं प्रयच्छति । तस्य ते द्वादशाब्दानि तृप्ता यान्ति सुरालयम्

Transliteration

paurṇamāsyāmamāvāsyāṃ snātvā piṇḍaṃ prayacchati | tasya te dvādaśābdāni tṛptā yānti surālayam

Translation

Am Vollmond und am Neumond, nachdem man gebadet hat, wenn man Piṇḍa (Ahnenopfer) darbringt, bleiben die Verstorbenen zwölf Jahre lang gesättigt und gelangen zur himmlischen Wohnstatt.

Word by Word

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: अधिकरण (Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अमावास्यां: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्यां: अधिकरण (Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: पूर्वकर्म/क्रियाविशेषण (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• पिण्डम्: a piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball offering)
• पिण्डम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रयच्छति: offers/gives
• प्रयच्छति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• ते: they (his ancestors)
• ते: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; ‘पितरः/पूर्वजाः’ इत्यर्थे (understood)

• द्वादशाब्दानि: twelve years
• द्वादशाब्दानि: कर्म/कालपरिमाण (Extent of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (द्वादश अब्दानि)

• तृप्ताः: satisfied
• तृप्ताः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘ते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• सुरालयम्: to the abode of the gods
• सुरालयम्: कर्म (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सुराणाम् आलयः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from surrounding passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (context)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet riverside śrāddha: after bathing, the performer sits facing south, placing rice-balls (piṇḍa) on darbha grass near the water; a small lamp and sesame-water vessel; the mood is solemn, compassionate, and reverent toward ancestors.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites for ancestors performed with purity at a tīrtha become a powerful act of gratitude that uplifts the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha where bathing and ancestral offerings are said to grant exceptional satisfaction to the departed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna followed by piṇḍa-pradāna on Paurṇimā and Amāvāsyā.