Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

एतान्मंत्रान्समुच्चार्य यः कुर्यात्पितृतर्पणम् । श्राद्धं पिंडप्रदानं च स विधिज्ञ इहोच्यते

Transliteration

etānmaṃtrānsamuccārya yaḥ kuryātpitṛtarpaṇam | śrāddhaṃ piṃḍapradānaṃ ca sa vidhijña ihocyate

Translation

He who, after duly reciting these mantras, performs the pitṛ-tarpaṇa to satisfy the ancestors, and also performs śrāddha and the offering of piṇḍas—he is here called one who truly knows the rite.

Word by Word

• एतान्: these
• एतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Demonstrative adjective, accusative plural

• मन्त्रान्: mantras
• मन्त्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• समुच्चार्य: having recited
• समुच्चार्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) — ‘having recited/uttered’

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

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (लिङ्-लकार), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd singular

• पितृतर्पणम्: offering of satisfaction to the ancestors
• पितृतर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां तर्पणम्) — accusative singular

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

• पिण्डप्रदानम्: offering of rice-balls (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डप्रदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पिण्डस्य प्रदानम्) — accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Demonstrative pronoun, nominative singular

• विधिज्ञः: knower of the proper procedure
• विधिज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विधेः ज्ञः) — nominative singular

• इह: here
• इह: Desha (Location/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘here/in this world’)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु), उच्यते (कर्मणि प्रयोग)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive) — Present passive, 3rd singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Gaṅgā-ghāṭa śrāddha-sthāna)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned ritualist recites mantras and performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa, śrāddha, and piṇḍa offerings on a leaf/plate at a Kāśī ghāṭa; assistants arrange darbha, sesame, and vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not only intention but correct practice: mantra-recitation joined with tarpaṇa, śrāddha, and piṇḍa-dāna constitutes ritual expertise and yields reliable merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśī’s setting, the rites are implicitly tied to Gaṅgā’s sanctity, elaborated in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the specified mantras, then perform pitṛ-tarpaṇa, śrāddha, and piṇḍa-pradāna.