Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पितृपात्रेषु त्रिष्वेव त्रिधा तच्च परिक्षिपेत् । एवं पिंडं त्रिधा कृत्वा पितृपिंडेषु च त्रिषु

Transliteration

pitṛpātreṣu triṣveva tridhā tacca parikṣipet | evaṃ piṃḍaṃ tridhā kṛtvā pitṛpiṃḍeṣu ca triṣu

Translation

In die drei für die Pitṛ (Ahnenväter) bestimmten Gefäße soll man jene Gabe dreifach verteilen. Ebenso teile man den piṇḍa in drei Teile und lege sie zu den drei Ahnen‑piṇḍas.

Word by Word

• पितृपात्रेषु: in the ancestral vessels
• पितृपात्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘in the vessels for the fathers’

• त्रिषु: in three
• त्रिषु: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; पितृपात्रेषु इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• त्रिधा: threefold
• त्रिधा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय; त्रि-आधारित)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक): ‘in three parts/threefold’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; (refers to argha/portion etc.)

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

• परिक्षिपेत्: should place/distribute
• परिक्षिपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक)

• पिण्डम्: the rice-ball (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• त्रिधा: into three parts
• त्रिधा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (threefold)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having made’

• पितृपिण्डेषु: on the ancestral piṇḍas
• पितृपिण्डेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘among/on the piṇḍas for the fathers’

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

• त्रिषु: in three
• त्रिषु: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; पितृपिण्डेषु इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/royal listener (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up ritual tableau: three pitr̥ vessels in a row, the performer pouring offerings in three measures; three piṇḍas arranged on darbha rings, carefully placed with hand gestures of dedication.

Characters & Entities

• pitṛ
• piṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites gain clarity and efficacy when offerings are proportioned and placed according to traditional order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha setting is implied (Tīrthamāhātmya), but the particular place-name is not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Divide the offering into three and distribute it into three pitṛ-vessels; also divide the piṇḍa into three and place it with the three ancestral piṇḍas.