Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

त्रिस्रोतसं समासाद्य सकृत्पिंडान्ददाति यः । उद्धृताः पितरस्तेन भवांभोधेस्तिलोदकैः

Transliteration

trisrotasaṃ samāsādya sakṛtpiṃḍāndadāti yaḥ | uddhṛtāḥ pitarastena bhavāṃbhodhestilodakaiḥ

Translation

Quiconque parvient à la Trois-fois-courante (la Gaṅgā) et offre des piṇḍa ne fût-ce qu’une seule fois, par cet acte, avec des libations d’eau mêlée de sésame, relève ses ancêtres de l’océan du devenir mondain.

Word by Word

• त्रिस्रोतसम्: the three-streamed (Gaṅgā)
• त्रिस्रोतसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (three-streamed river = Gaṅgā)

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्ययभाव (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/संख्या-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: once)

• पिण्डान्: rice-balls (funeral offerings)
• पिण्डान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• उद्धृताः: are lifted/rescued
• उद्धृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-√हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicative)

• पितरः: ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तेन: by him / by that (act)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (by him/thereby)

• भवाम्भोधेः: of the ocean of saṃsāra
• भवाम्भोधेः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + अम्भोधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ocean of worldly existence)

• तिलोदकैः: with sesame-water offerings
• तिलोदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (water with sesame)

Speaker

Skanda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trisrotas/Trisrotasī Gaṅgā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reaches the three-streamed Gaṅgā and offers piṇḍas once; with sesame-water oblations, the ancestors are lifted from the ocean of saṃsāra.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā (Trisrotas)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate duty to one’s ancestors is amplified at tīrthas; a single sincere offering at Gaṅgā is portrayed as powerfully liberating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā as Trisrotas (the Three-Streamed sacred river), central to Kāśī’s rites for pitṛs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Approach Gaṅgā and perform piṇḍa-dāna (even once) along with tilodaka (sesame-water) offerings for ancestors.