Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

तारयेत्स पितॄन्सर्वान्महानरकगानपि । श्रद्धया यः पिबेत्तोयं संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

tārayetsa pitṝnsarvānmahānarakagānapi | śraddhayā yaḥ pibettoyaṃ saṃtarpya pitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

erlöst all seine Ahnen, selbst jene, die in die großen Höllen gefallen sind. Wer dieses Wasser im Glauben trinkt, nachdem er die Pitṛ-Gottheiten (Ahnen) gesättigt und verehrt hat,

Word by Word

• तारयेत्: would deliver/save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पितॄन्)

• महानरक-गान्: (even those) going to great hells
• महानरक-गान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महानरक (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (महानरकं गच्छन्ति ये) विशेषणम् (पितॄन्)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), ‘even/also’

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• पिबेत्: would drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied
• संतर्प्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having satisfied’

• पितृ-देवताः: the Pitṛ-deities (ancestors as deities)
• पितृ-देवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (पितर एव देवताः)

Speaker

Narrator of the Dharmāraṇya-māhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravikuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the kuṇḍa’s edge, a pilgrim offers tarpana with cupped hands; behind him, faint ancestral figures rise from shadowy realms toward light, suggesting release from naraka through the water-offering and sipping rite.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Mahānaraka
• Tīrtha water (toya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Care for ancestors through śraddhā and tarpaṇa is a powerful dharmic duty, believed to uplift even severely suffering Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Ravikuṇḍa/tīrtha-water context, praising its potency for Pitṛ upliftment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛ-tarpaṇa (satisfying the Pitṛ-deities) and then drinking the tīrtha water with faith.