Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 131

Devanagari script

तस्माच्छ्राद्धं सदा कार्यं पितॄणां तृप्तिमिच्छता । तिलोदकं विशेषेण यथा ब्रह्मवचो नृप

Transliteration

tasmācchrāddhaṃ sadā kāryaṃ pitṝṇāṃ tṛptimicchatā | tilodakaṃ viśeṣeṇa yathā brahmavaco nṛpa

Translation

Darum soll, wer die Zufriedenheit der Pitṛs (Ahnen) begehrt, stets das Śrāddha vollziehen—insbesondere tilodaka, Sesamwasser, darbringen—denn so lautet Brahmās Wort, o König.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयुक्तम्; हेत्वर्थक-निपातवत् (therefore/from that reason)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (always)

• कार्यम्: to be done; obligatory
• कार्यम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त, यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थे)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (कर्तव्य/ought to be done)

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

• तृप्तिम्: satisfaction
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• इच्छता: by (one) desiring
• इच्छता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष् (धातु) → इच्छत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः वर्तमानकाले; कर्तृवाचकः (by one who desires)

• तिल-उदकम्: water with sesame (tilodaka)
• तिल-उदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तिलयुक्तम् उदकम्)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (especially)

• यथा: as; according to
• यथा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; यथार्थे/प्रकारे (as; according to)

• ब्रह्म-वचः: Brahmā’s word; scriptural injunction
• ब्रह्म-वचः: Hetu (Authority/प्रमाण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः वचः)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; concluding injunction; addressing nṛpa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa / narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder at a riverbank performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa: hands cupped, pouring sesame-mixed water while facing south; nearby a simple śrāddha setup with darbha, piṇḍa, and a seated brāhmaṇa; a subtle celestial presence suggests Brahmā’s sanction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Brahmā
• Tilodaka (sesame-water offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent ancestral reverence is a core dharma; tilodaka is singled out as a potent, accessible offering for Pitṛ satisfaction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily a ritual injunction; no single tīrtha is directly named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha regularly, and in particular offer tilodaka (sesame-water) as taught under Brahmā’s authority.