Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

मातामहांस्तथोद्दिश्य तथान्यानपि गोत्रजान् । गुरुश्वशुरबंधूनां नामान्युच्चार्य पिंडदः

Transliteration

mātāmahāṃstathoddiśya tathānyānapi gotrajān | guruśvaśurabaṃdhūnāṃ nāmānyuccārya piṃḍadaḥ

Translation

Indem man den Ritus auch den Großvätern mütterlicherseits und ebenso anderen Verwandten der eigenen Linie zuwendet, soll der Spender der Piṇḍas die Namen von Lehrern, Schwiegervätern und Angehörigen aussprechen und dann darbringen.

Word by Word

• मातामहान्: maternal grandfathers/ancestors
• मातामहान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• उद्दिश्य: having designated/aimed at (in intention)
• उद्दिश्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावेन क्रियाविशेषणम्

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• अन्यान्: others
• अन्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)

• गोत्रजान्: kinsmen born in the same lineage
• गोत्रजान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोत्रात् जाताः)

• गुरुश्वशुरबंधूनाम्: of gurus, fathers-in-law, and relatives
• गुरुश्वशुरबंधूनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु + श्वशुर + बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (गुरवः च श्वशुराः च बन्धवः च)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• उच्चार्य: having uttered
• उच्चार्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावेन क्रियाविशेषणम्; अर्थे ‘उच्चारणं कृत्वा’

• पिंडदः: the giver of piṇḍas (offerer)
• पिंडदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candroda (śrāddha tīrtha cluster)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim, hands joined, softly recites names while offering piṇḍas; behind, faint silhouettes suggest multiple generations—maternal and paternal lines—listening; the priest guides the sequence with darbha in hand.

Characters & Entities

• mātāmaha (maternal ancestors)
• gotra
• guru
• śvaśura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral duty is expansive: remembrance and offerings extend beyond paternal forebears to maternal lines and honored relations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The śrāddha procedure is being taught in the Candroda-tīrtha setting of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dedicate offerings to maternal ancestors and other gotra-kin, uttering the names of gurus, fathers-in-law, and relatives while giving piṇḍas.