Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

यस्तैर्दर्भैर्नरो भक्त्या तिलैश्चारण्यसंभवैः । करोति तर्पणं विप्राः स प्रीणाति पितामहान्

Transliteration

yastairdarbhairnaro bhaktyā tilaiścāraṇyasaṃbhavaiḥ | karoti tarpaṇaṃ viprāḥ sa prīṇāti pitāmahān

Translation

O brāhmaṇas, he who with devotion performs tarpaṇa using those darbha grasses and the sesame seeds that arise in that forest, truly satisfies his forefathers.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तैः: with those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• दर्भैः: with darbha grasses
• दर्भैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• आरण्यसम्भवैः: (sesame) produced in the forest
• आरण्यसम्भवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘तिलैः’ इत्यस्य; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आरण्यस्य सम्भवाः = forest-born)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तर्पणम्: libation/oblatory offering (tarpaṇa)
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (addressing)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• प्रीणाति: pleases, satisfies
• प्रीणाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पितामहान्: the forefathers/ancestors
• पितामहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (addressing vipras/brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at a bright, pure tīrtha-edge in a forest, holding darbha and black sesame, offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; subtle presence of satisfied pitṛs receiving the libations.

Characters & Entities

• Vipras (brāhmaṇas)
• Pitāmahas (ancestors)
• Darbha
• Tila
• Forest (āraṇya)
• Śuklatīrtha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional performance of pitṛ rites at a sanctified landscape brings well-being to one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha and its surrounding sacred forest resources (darbha, tila) used for ancestral rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform tarpaṇa with devotion using the specified darbha grass and forest-sourced sesame seeds.