Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

निवसामि कृतस्थानो गंगासागरसंगमे । तत्र दर्शेतर्पयामि सदैव च पितॄनहम्

Transliteration

nivasāmi kṛtasthāno gaṃgāsāgarasaṃgame | tatra darśetarpayāmi sadaiva ca pitṝnaham

Translation

I dwell there, having established my residence at the confluence of the Gaṅgā and the ocean. There, on Darśa days, I always offer tarpaṇa—libations of water—to the Pitṛs, the ancestors.

Word by Word

• निवसामि: I reside
• निवसामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कृतस्थानः: having made (that) place (one’s abode); settled
• कृतस्थानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ√कृ, क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, समासः—तत्पुरुष (कृतं स्थानं यस्य/कृतस्थानः)

• गङ्गासागर-सङ्गमे: at the confluence of the Ganga and the ocean
• गङ्गासागर-सङ्गमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः सागरस्य च सङ्गमः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• दर्शे: on the Darśa (new-moon day)
• दर्शे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (दर्शे = दर्श-शब्दस्य सप्तमी एकवचन)

• तर्पयामि: I satisfy/offer libations to
• तर्पयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्/तर्प् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) प्रयोगः—तर्पयति

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

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

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (manes)
• पितॄन्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Devaśarmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience within Skanda Purāṇa’s frame (traditionally a sage/assembly); immediate narrative is first-person report

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow-bound householder-sage seated at the Gaṅgā-ocean confluence at dawn of amāvāsyā, offering water-libations to ancestors; waves meet river-current; distant pilgrims and a simple kuśa-grass setup.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Gaṅgāsāgara
• Pitṛs
• Darśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving the ancestors through regular tarpaṇa at a powerful tīrtha upholds family-dharma and brings unseen spiritual support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgāsāgara-saṅgama—the sacred meeting of the Gaṅgā and the ocean.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛ-tarpaṇa performed on Darśa (new-moon) days at the tīrtha.