Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

दक्षिणाग्रेषु दर्भेषु दद्यात्पिण्डान्विचक्षणः । भूमौ चान्नेन सिद्धेन श्राद्धं कृत्वा यथाविधि

Transliteration

dakṣiṇāgreṣu darbheṣu dadyātpiṇḍānvicakṣaṇaḥ | bhūmau cānnena siddhena śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā yathāvidhi

Translation

L’homme avisé doit offrir les piṇḍas sur l’herbe kuśa dont les pointes sont tournées vers le sud; et, à même le sol, avec une nourriture dûment cuite, accomplir le śrāddha selon le rite prescrit.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणाग्रेषु: on the south-pointed tips
• दक्षिणाग्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणम् अग्रं येषां ते), अधिकरणे

• दर्भेषु: on/among darbha grasses
• दर्भेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पिण्डान्: piṇḍas (rice-balls)
• पिण्डान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• विचक्षणः: the discerning person
• विचक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्नेन: with food
• अन्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सिद्धेन: cooked/prepared
• सिद्धेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिध् (धातु) → सिद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अन्नेन)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according to)

• विधि: prescribed procedure
• विधि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (यथाविधि = according to rule)

Speaker

Narrator within Revā-khaṇḍa (traditional attribution: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist arranges kuśa grass with south-pointing tips, places piṇḍas carefully, and sets cooked rice and offerings on the ground for śrāddha, with the river nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Darbha (Kuśa grass)
• Śrāddha
• Piṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites become fruitful when done with attentiveness and according to dharma, using sanctified materials and correct orientation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-region praised in the Revā-khaṇḍa of the Āvantya-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer piṇḍas on south-tipped darbha and perform śrāddha on the ground with properly cooked food, following the injunctions.