Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तेन तत्पुण्यमाख्यातं ब्रह्मावर्तमिति प्रभो । तत्र स्नात्वा विधानेन तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

tena tatpuṇyamākhyātaṃ brahmāvartamiti prabho | tatra snātvā vidhānena tarpayetpitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

Darum, o Herr, wurde sein Verdienst als „Brahmāvarta“ gerühmt. Wer dort nach rechter Vorschrift badet, soll Tarpaṇa darbringen zur Befriedigung der Pitṛs und der Gottheiten.

Word by Word

• tena: by that; therefore
• tena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘तेन’ = by that/therefore

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• puṇyam: merit; holy merit
• puṇyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ākhyātam: was proclaimed/named
• ākhyātam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-khyā (आख्या धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आख्यातम्’ = declared/named

• brahmāvartam: Brahmāvarta (name of the place)
• brahmāvartam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + āvarta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मणः आवर्तः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; नाम (proper name)

• iti: thus; as
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोगः (quotative particle)

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (स्ना धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘स्नात्वा’ = having bathed

• vidhānena: according to the prescribed rite
• vidhānena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• tarpayet: should satisfy (offer libations to)
• tarpayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (तृप् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच् (causative) भावः—तर्पयति = satisfies/offers libations

• pitṛdevatāḥ: the Pitṛ-deities (ancestors)
• pitṛdevatāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—पितॄणां देवताः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; ‘pitṛdevatāḥ’ = the deities in the form of Pitṛs

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmāvarta

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a river ghāṭa labeled Brahmāvarta: one person completes snāna, then performs tarpaṇa with cupped hands facing the water; subtle presence of Pitṛs (as shadowy ancestral forms) and Devas (as luminous figures) receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmāvarta (Tīrtha)
• Pitṛs
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha practice unites personal purification (snāna) with gratitude and duty toward ancestors and gods (tarpaṇa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmāvarta Tīrtha, whose sanctity is linked to Brahmā’s austerity and thus becomes famed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ritual bathing (snāna) followed by tarpaṇa offerings to Pitṛs and deities, performed according to vidhi.