Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्दिने च तत्तीर्थे पिंडदानादि कारयेत् । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति पितॄणां दत्तमक्षयम्

Transliteration

tasmindine ca tattīrthe piṃḍadānādi kārayet | tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti pitṝṇāṃ dattamakṣayam

Translation

An jenem Tag und an eben diesem Tīrtha soll man die Piṇḍa-Gabe und verwandte Riten vollziehen lassen. Man erlangt diese Frucht: die Gabe an die Ahnen wird unvergänglich.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: on that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दिने)

• दिने: day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तीर्थे)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पिण्डदानादि: piṇḍa-offering and the like
• पिण्डदानादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डदान + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘ādi’ = ‘etc.’

• कारयेत्: should cause to be done / should perform
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative: कारय)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying फलम्)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• समवाप्नोति: attains fully
• समवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• दत्तम्: given/offered
• दत्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying फलम्)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying फलम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārāvatī Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the ghat, a householder with priest performs piṇḍadāna: rice-balls placed on darbha, water libations poured; the river gleams; subtle ancestral presence is suggested as calm, luminous silhouettes receiving the offering.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārāvatī Tīrtha
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Piṇḍadāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings to the Pitṛs, when done at an empowered tīrtha and auspicious time, yield inexhaustible merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārāvatī Tīrtha mentioned in the immediately preceding verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍadāna (piṇḍa-offerings) and allied śrāddha-type rites for the ancestors.