Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 140
यदिदं तर्पणंनाम पितॄणां क्रियते नृभिः । जलमध्ये जलं याति कथं तृप्यंति पूर्वजाः
yadidaṃ tarpaṇaṃnāma pitṝṇāṃ kriyate nṛbhiḥ | jalamadhye jalaṃ yāti kathaṃ tṛpyaṃti pūrvajāḥ
When men perform what is called tarpaṇa for the Pitṛs, the offered water merely merges into water itself—how, then, are the ancestors truly satisfied?
Unspecified questioner (listener in the dialogue)
Scene: A thoughtful king questions: water offered into water seems to disappear—by what principle do ancestors become satisfied? The scene is a calm doctrinal moment, with the shrine as backdrop.
FAQs
It raises a dharmic doubt about ritual efficacy, prompting a deeper explanation of subtle (non-gross) reception by Pitṛs.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on the principle behind Pitṛ-tarpaṇa.
Tarpaṇa—offering water as a libation to the Pitṛs.