Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

भक्त्या स्नात्वा तु यस्तत्र तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः । अग्निष्टोमस्य यज्ञस्य फलमाप्नोत्यसंशयम्

Transliteration

bhaktyā snātvā tu yastatra tarpayetpitṛdevatāḥ | agniṣṭomasya yajñasya phalamāpnotyasaṃśayam

Translation

Whoever bathes there with devotion and offers tarpaṇa to the Pitṛs and the deities attains, without doubt, the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.

Word by Word

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाले; having bathed

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थे

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तर्पयेत्: should propitiate
• तर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should satisfy/offer libations

• पितृदेवताः: the Pitṛ-deities (manes)
• पितृदेवताः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + देवता (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मपद; ‘paternal deities’

• अग्निष्टोमस्य: of the Agniṣṭoma
• अग्निष्टोमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• फलम्: the fruit/result
• फलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Object

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; attains

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (adverbial accusative), निःसन्देहत्वे

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual; specific spot implied)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (king) addressed in the verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a Narmadā ghāṭa performs snāna, then offers tarpaṇa with cupped hands toward the river, invoking pitṛs and devatās; priests and other bathers nearby; morning light on flowing water.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Devatās
• Agniṣṭoma Yajña
• Narmadā tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage rites done with bhakti can confer the merit of major Vedic sacrifices, integrating Purāṇic devotion with Vedic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Narmadā tīrtha (Vahni-tīrtha context) where bathing and offerings are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) with devotion and tarpaṇa to Pitṛs and devatās.