Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

शमीपत्रप्रमाणं तु पिंडं दद्याच्च यो नरः । धर्मवाप्यां महापुण्यां गर्भवासं न चाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

śamīpatrapramāṇaṃ tu piṃḍaṃ dadyācca yo naraḥ | dharmavāpyāṃ mahāpuṇyāṃ garbhavāsaṃ na cāpnuyāt

Translation

Whoever offers there a piṇḍa for the ancestors—even if only the size of a śamī leaf—at the greatly meritorious Dharmavāpī does not again attain “dwelling in the womb,” that is, repeated rebirth.

Word by Word

• शमीपत्रप्रमाणम्: of the size of a śamī-leaf
• शमीपत्रप्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शमी (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (शमीपत्रस्य प्रमाणम् = शमीपत्र-प्रमाणम्)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (emphatic/contrastive particle)

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

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सापेक्ष-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• धर्मवाप्याम्: in the Dharma-pond
• धर्मवाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य वापी)

• महापुण्याम्: highly meritorious
• महापुण्याम्: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् पुण्यम्) विशेषणम् (धर्मवाप्याम्)

• गर्भवासम्: dwelling in the womb (rebirth)
• गर्भवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (गर्भे वासः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• आप्नुयात्: would attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa continuing the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmavāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a tiny piṇḍa (symbolically the size of a śamī leaf) at the edge of a stone-lined well; above, a subtle wheel of rebirth breaks, and pitṛs appear appeased, blessing the offerer.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmavāpī
• Pitṛs (implied by piṇḍa)
• Śamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a potent tīrtha, even a small but sincere ancestral offering can yield liberation-oriented results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmavāpī, described as mahāpuṇyā (supremely meritorious).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering a piṇḍa (piṇḍa-dāna) for ancestors at Dharmavāpī, even in a minimal measure.