Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

पितॄणामक्षया तृप्तिर्जायते दिवि निश्चितम् । यथा गयाशिरः पुण्यं पितॄणां तृप्तिदं परम्

Transliteration

pitṝṇāmakṣayā tṛptirjāyate divi niścitam | yathā gayāśiraḥ puṇyaṃ pitṝṇāṃ tṛptidaṃ param

Translation

It is certain that the Pitṛs attain unfailing satisfaction in heaven. Just as sacred Gayāśiras is supremely meritorious and grants satisfaction to the ancestors, so too is it here (affirming the same Pitṛ-pleasing merit).

Word by Word

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• अक्षया: imperishable, unfailing
• अक्षया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तृप्तिः)

• तृप्तिः: satisfaction/contentment
• तृप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (दिव्-शब्दः)

• निश्चितम्: certainly
• निश्चितम्: Vakyopapadana (Sentence qualifier/वाक्यविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निश्चित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन—वाक्ये निश्चयार्थकं (certainly)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamana-bodhaka (Comparator/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/illustrative)

• गया-शिरः: Gayā-śiras (the head/peak at Gayā)
• गया-शिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गयायाः शिरः)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गयाशिरः)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• तृप्ति-दम्: giving satisfaction
• तृप्ति-दम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा/दम् ‘to give’ sense)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (तृप्तिं ददाति इति)

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गयाशिरः/पुण्यम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī–Sāgara-saṅgama (implied)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene vision: ancestors in a celestial realm receive offerings as streams of light rising from the confluence rites; Gayāśiras appears as a symbolic sacred hill in the background, establishing the analogy of supreme pitṛ satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Gayāśiras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acts done with dharmic intent for the ancestors can yield inexhaustible (akṣaya) Pitṛ-satisfaction.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Gayāśiras (Gayā), famed for ancestral rites and Pitṛ-tarpaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies the efficacy of Pitṛ-oriented rites such as śrāddha/tarpaṇa performed at powerful tīrthas.