Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः । श्राद्धं तत्रैव यो दद्यात्पित्ःनुद्दिश्य भारत

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe naraḥ snātvā tarpayetpitṛdevatāḥ | śrāddhaṃ tatraiva yo dadyātpitḥnuddiśya bhārata

Translation

O Bhārata, at that tīrtha, after bathing, a man should offer tarpaṇa to the Pitṛ-deities. Whoever, right there, performs śrāddha dedicated to the ancestors attains its special fruit.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• तीर्थे: at the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• तर्पयेत्: should satisfy (offer libations to)
• तर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितृदेवताः: the ancestral deities (pitṛs)
• पितृदेवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—पितॄणां देवताः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• दद्यात्: should give/perform
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• उद्दिश्य: intending/dedicating to
• उद्दिश्य: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्-दिश् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (Gerund), हेत्वर्थ/उद्देश्य (for the sake of)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate continuation in the next adhyāya context within Revā Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara (Narmadā south bank)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (royal/epic-style addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands waist-deep in the Narmadā after bathing, then faces south to offer tarpaṇa with cupped hands; nearby, a simple śrāddha setup with darbha grass, piṇḍa offerings, and a seated brāhmaṇa priest under a riverside tree.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha
• Tīrtha (Revā/Narmadā context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snānā (holy bathing) becomes complete when joined with gratitude to one’s lineage through Pitṛ-tarpaṇa and śrāddha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha within the Skanda Purāṇa’s Āvantya Khaṇḍa, Revā Khaṇḍa (exact micro-toponym not stated in this verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing at the tīrtha, offering tarpaṇa to the Pitṛs, and performing śrāddha dedicated to the ancestors at the same place.