Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 118

Devanagari script

अस्मिंश्च कूपे यो मर्त्यः स्नात्वा तर्पयते पितॄन् । सर्वतीर्थफलं चास्तु पितॄणामक्षया गतिः

Transliteration

asmiṃśca kūpe yo martyaḥ snātvā tarpayate pitṝn | sarvatīrthaphalaṃ cāstu pitṝṇāmakṣayā gatiḥ

Translation

Und wer unter den Sterblichen in diesem Brunnen badet und den Pitṛs Tarpaṇa darbringt—der erlange die Frucht aller Tīrthas, und die Pitṛs mögen einen unvergänglichen seligen Zustand erreichen.

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कूपे: in the well
• कूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

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

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तर्पयते: satisfies/offers libations to
• तर्पयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु) → तर्पय (णिच् causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

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

• सर्वतीर्थफलम्: the fruit of all pilgrimages
• सर्वतीर्थफलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वतीर्थफल (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + तीर्थ + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां तीर्थानां फलम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्तु: let there be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• अक्षया: imperishable
• अक्षया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गतेः)

• गतिः: attainment/destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Kālabhīti

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūpa-tīrtha (associated with Mahākāla/Dhārā setting)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a stone-lined well: one bathes, then offers tarpaṇa with cupped hands; subtle presence of Pitṛs receiving water as luminous ancestral silhouettes; Śiva-liṅga shrine nearby indicating kṣetra protection.

Characters & Entities

• Kālabhīti
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Kūpa (sacred well)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving the ancestors through śrāddha-related tarpaṇa at a sanctified place brings vast merit and benefits the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular sacred well (kūpa) at this liṅga-sthala is praised as yielding the fruit of all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in the well and tarpaṇa (libations) to the Pitṛs, promising sarvatīrtha-phala and akṣaya gati for ancestors.