Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

माता च पितृभार्या च मातृमाता पितामही । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा हितं तासां समाचरेत्

Transliteration

mātā ca pitṛbhāryā ca mātṛmātā pitāmahī | karmaṇā manasā vācā hitaṃ tāsāṃ samācaret

Translation

Durch Tat, Gedanken und Wort soll man stets das Wohl der Mutter, der Frau des Vaters (Stiefmutter), der Großmutter mütterlicherseits und der Großmutter väterlicherseits fördern.

Word by Word

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• पितृभार्या: father's wife (stepmother)
• पितृभार्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितुः भार्या)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• मातृमाता: maternal grandmother
• मातृमाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मातुः माता)

• पितामही: paternal grandmother
• पितामही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह + ई (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कर्मणा: by action
• कर्मणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाचा: by speech
• वाचा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हितम्: benefit/good
• हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक from धा/हि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• समाचरेत्: one should practice/do
• समाचरेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: nāga speakers or a sage-like figure enumerates revered female elders; the composition emphasizes calm instruction and attentive listening.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced through reverence and beneficent conduct toward mother-figures, in thought, word, and deed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it presents a general dharma teaching within the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the instruction is ethical discipline—beneficial conduct through the three instruments (mind, speech, action).