Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अर्घ्यं दत्त्वा विधानेन मृदमालिप्य पाणिना । स्नायाच्छ्रद्धासमायुक्तस्तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

arghyaṃ dattvā vidhānena mṛdamālipya pāṇinā | snāyācchraddhāsamāyuktastarpayetpitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

Nachdem man gemäß der Vorschrift Arghya dargebracht und den Leib mit der Hand mit heiliger Erde (Ton) bestrichen hat, soll man im Glauben baden und sodann die Ahnen-Gottheiten durch Tarpana-Opfer zufriedenstellen.

Word by Word

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya-offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object of ‘giving’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकाले (having done)

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Means/according to rule)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचन

• मृदा: with clay/earth
• मृदा: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचन

• आलिप्य: having smeared
• आलिप्य: Purvakala-kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु) उपसर्ग: आ-
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); ‘आ-लिप्’ (to smear)

• पाणिना: with the hand
• पाणिना: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचन

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriya (Injunctive/should bathe)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन

• श्रद्धा: with faith
• श्रद्धा: Hetu/Upadhi (With faith)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपद)

• समायुक्तः: endowed/connected
• समायुक्तः: Karta (Qualifier of the doer)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन

• तर्पयेत्: should satisfy/offer libations to
• तर्पयेत्: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्/तर्प् (धातु) (causative sense: तर्पय-)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितृदेवताः: the ancestral deities (pitṛs)
• पितृदेवताः: Karma (Object of ‘tarpayet’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पितॄणां देवताः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā tīrtha (bathing-ghāṭa context)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim completes the rite: arghya offered, sacred clay smeared on limbs, immersion bath, then seated at the water’s edge performing tarpaṇa with cupped hands for pitṛs and devas.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Tarpana
• Snāna
• Arghya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification rites are completed by gratitude to lineage—honoring the Pitṛs alongside devotion to the deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārakā tīrtha context of Adhyāya 13, culminating in bathing and ancestral offerings associated with Gopikā-sara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer arghya, apply sacred clay, bathe with faith, and perform pitṛ-tarpaṇa.