Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पौर्णमास्याममावास्यां स्नात्वा पिण्डं प्रयच्छति । तस्य ते द्वादशाब्दानि तृप्ता यान्ति सुरालयम्

Transliteration

paurṇamāsyāmamāvāsyāṃ snātvā piṇḍaṃ prayacchati | tasya te dvādaśābdāni tṛptā yānti surālayam

Translation

À la pleine lune et à la nouvelle lune, après s’être baigné, s’il offre le piṇḍa (oblation aux ancêtres), ses défunts demeurent rassasiés douze ans et gagnent la demeure des dieux.

Word by Word

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: अधिकरण (Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अमावास्यां: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्यां: अधिकरण (Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: पूर्वकर्म/क्रियाविशेषण (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• पिण्डम्: a piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball offering)
• पिण्डम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रयच्छति: offers/gives
• प्रयच्छति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• ते: they (his ancestors)
• ते: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; ‘पितरः/पूर्वजाः’ इत्यर्थे (understood)

• द्वादशाब्दानि: twelve years
• द्वादशाब्दानि: कर्म/कालपरिमाण (Extent of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (द्वादश अब्दानि)

• तृप्ताः: satisfied
• तृप्ताः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘ते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• सुरालयम्: to the abode of the gods
• सुरालयम्: कर्म (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सुराणाम् आलयः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from surrounding passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (context)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet riverside śrāddha: after bathing, the performer sits facing south, placing rice-balls (piṇḍa) on darbha grass near the water; a small lamp and sesame-water vessel; the mood is solemn, compassionate, and reverent toward ancestors.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites for ancestors performed with purity at a tīrtha become a powerful act of gratitude that uplifts the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha where bathing and ancestral offerings are said to grant exceptional satisfaction to the departed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna followed by piṇḍa-pradāna on Paurṇimā and Amāvāsyā.