Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

ततः प्रभाते विमले पित्ःन् संतर्पयेज्जलैः । श्राद्धं च ब्राह्मणैस्तत्र योग्यैः पाण्डव मानवाः

Transliteration

tataḥ prabhāte vimale pitḥn saṃtarpayejjalaiḥ | śrāddhaṃ ca brāhmaṇaistatra yogyaiḥ pāṇḍava mānavāḥ

Translation

Dann, am reinen Morgen, soll man die Pitṛs durch Wasseropfer zufriedenstellen; und dort, o Sohn des Pāṇḍu, lasse man das Śrāddha von geeigneten Brāhmaṇas vollziehen.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• प्रभाते: in the morning
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — ‘प्रभाते’ (in the morning)

• विमले: pure, clear
• विमले: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘विमले’ (pure/clear), ‘प्रभाते’ इति विशेषणम्

• पितॄन्: ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — ‘पितॄन्’ (the ancestors)

• संतर्पयेत्: should satisfy (offer)
• संतर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संतृप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘संतर्पयेत्’ (let him satisfy/offer oblations)

• जलैः: with water
• जलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — ‘जलैः’ (with waters)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘श्राद्धम्’ (śrāddha rite)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक/संबन्धक) — conjunction ‘and’

• ब्राह्मणैः: by brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘ब्राह्मणैः’ (by/with brāhmaṇas)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘there’

• योग्यैः: qualified
• योग्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘योग्यैः’ (fit/qualified), ‘ब्राह्मणैः’ इति विशेषणम्

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• पाण्डव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — ‘हे पाण्डव’ (O Pāṇḍava)

• मानवाः: people
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — ‘मानवाः’ (men/people)

Speaker

Unspecified (addressing a Pāṇḍava; likely a didactic dialogue within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (general bank-site implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava (addressed as ‘pāṇḍava’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a serene riverbank at dawn, a pilgrim faces the flowing Revā, offering cupped-water tarpana; nearby, a small śrāddha setup with darbha, piṇḍa vessels, and seated brāhmaṇas under a tree.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Brāhmaṇas
• Pāṇḍava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage piety is completed by gratitude to ancestors—tarpaṇa and śrāddha done correctly sustain dharma across generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is situated in the Revākhaṇḍa tīrtha context (Revā/Narmadā sacred region), implying heightened efficacy of pitṛ rites at the described place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛ-tarpaṇa with water at dawn and performance of śrāddha through qualified brāhmaṇas.