Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पितरश्चात्र पूज्याश्च स्वर्गता ये च पूर्वजाः । पिंडांश्च निर्वपेत्तेषां प्राप्येमां मुक्तिदायिकाम्

Transliteration

pitaraścātra pūjyāśca svargatā ye ca pūrvajāḥ | piṃḍāṃśca nirvapetteṣāṃ prāpyemāṃ muktidāyikām

Translation

Here the Pitṛs are to be revered—the forefathers who have gone to heaven; and, having reached this liberation-bestowing place, one should duly offer piṇḍas to them.

Word by Word

• pitaraḥ: ancestors
• pitaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: ‘here’)

• pūjyāḥ: worthy of worship
• pūjyāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूज् ‘to honor’)
• Form: भूतव्य/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘worthy of worship’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• svargatāḥ: gone to heaven
• svargatāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + ta (कृदन्त; √gam गम् ‘to go’)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle sense: ‘gone to’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural); तत्पुरुष (‘gone to heaven’)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural); सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• pūrvajāḥ: forefathers/ancestors
• pūrvajāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• piṇḍān: rice-balls (piṇḍas)
• piṇḍān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• nirvapet: should offer/place (as oblation)
• nirvapet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vap (वप्) with nir-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• teṣām: for them/of them
• teṣām: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural); सर्वनाम

• prāpya: having reached/obtained
• prāpya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāpya (कृदन्त; √prāp प्राप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• imām: this
• imām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular); सर्वनाम

• mukti-dāyikām: liberation-giving
• mukti-dāyikām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + dāyikā (प्रातिपदिक; from √dā दा ‘to give’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular); तत्पुरुष (‘giver of liberation’), विशेषण (qualifying imām)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continued)

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Dharmavāpī (implied)
• Dharmāraṇya (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring ancestors through śrāddha offerings at a sacred site supports both ancestral welfare and the devotee’s spiritual progress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The mukti-dāyikā (liberation-giving) site in this context is Dharmavāpī within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa offerings (piṇḍadāna) to forefathers, along with honoring the Pitṛs.