Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

पितृप्रीतिं प्रकुर्वाणः कुर्वीत श्राद्धमन्वहम् । अन्नोदकपयोमूलैः फलैर्वापि गृहाश्रमी

Transliteration

pitṛprītiṃ prakurvāṇaḥ kurvīta śrāddhamanvaham | annodakapayomūlaiḥ phalairvāpi gṛhāśramī

Translation

Um die Ahnen zu erfreuen, soll der Hausherr täglich das Śrāddha vollziehen — mit Speise, Wasser, Milch, Wurzeln oder auch Früchten, je nach Vermögen.

Word by Word

• पितृप्रीतिम्: satisfaction of the ancestors
• पितृप्रीतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां प्रीतिः)

• प्रकुर्वाणः: doing/bringing about
• प्रकुर्वाणः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक: प्रकुर्वाण)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; कर्तरि; विशेषणम् (गृहाश्रमी)

• कुर्वीत: should perform
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; धातुः कृ

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• अन्वहम्: daily
• अन्वहम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्वहम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• अन्नोदकपयोमूलैः: with food, water, milk, and roots
• अन्नोदकपयोमूलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + उदक + पयस् + मूल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचनम्; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (अन्नं च उदकं च पयः च मूलानि च)

• फलैः: with fruits
• फलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (or)

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

• गृहाश्रमी: the householder
• गृहाश्रमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह + आश्रमिन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; समासः तत्पुरुषः (गृहस्थ-आश्रमिणः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Gaṅgā-ghāṭs for pitṛ-kārya)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Kāśī ghāṭ or home threshold, a householder offers water and simple food/fruits with kusha grass, invoking ancestors; the mood is tender and reverent.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (implied context)
• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gratitude to ancestors is sustained through regular, sincere offerings; even simple materials offered with faith uphold dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered dharma teaching, where ancestral rites are part of the city’s sanctifying tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha daily (anvaham), using accessible offerings such as food, water, milk, roots, or fruits.