Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

केशोदबिन्दवस्तस्य ये चान्ये लेपभाजिनः । तृप्यन्त्यनग्निनसंस्कारा यं मृताः स्युः स्वगोत्रजाः

Transliteration

keśodabindavastasya ye cānye lepabhājinaḥ | tṛpyantyanagninasaṃskārā yaṃ mṛtāḥ syuḥ svagotrajāḥ

Translation

Les gouttes d’eau de ses cheveux, et toutes celles qui adhèrent à son corps—par elles sont rassasiés même les parents défunts de sa lignée, partis sans les rites funéraires du feu.

Word by Word

• केशोदबिन्दवः: water-drops from the hair
• केशोदबिन्दवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + उद (प्रातिपदिक) + बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); केशेषु उदबिन्दवः (water-drops from hair)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• ये: which / those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (and)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• लेपभाजिनः: those who partake of the smear (bath-scrapings)
• लेपभाजिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लेप (प्रातिपदिक) + भाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); लेपं भजन्ति/भाजिनः (those partaking of the smear/unguent)

• तृप्यन्ति: are satisfied
• तृप्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• अनग्निनसंस्काराः: those lacking fire-rites (uncremated/without agni-saṃskāra)
• अनग्निनसंस्काराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्- (नञ्) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + न (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); नञ्-समास — ‘without agni/without fire-rites’; अनग्निना (अग्निहोत्रादिरहितेन) संस्कारः येषाम्

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त, मृ-धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्युः: may be / would be
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• स्वगोत्रजाः: kinsmen of the same lineage
• स्वगोत्रजाः: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); स्वगोत्रे जाताः (of the same lineage)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up emphasis: droplets from hair and water clinging to the body become luminous offerings; in the background, forlorn ancestors without fire-rites are shown being soothed and clothed in light, moving from unrest toward peace.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Snāna
• Gotra
• Antyeṣṭi (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-merit is portrayed as compassionate and far-reaching, extending even to ancestors lacking complete funeral rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha, where bathing is described as uniquely potent for pitṛ-satisfaction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at the tīrtha; its water (from hair/body) is said to satisfy deceased relatives, including those without agni-saṃskāra.