Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यावंतश्च तिला मर्त्यैर्गृहीता पितृकर्मणि । तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि पितरः स्वर्गवासिनः

Transliteration

yāvaṃtaśca tilā martyairgṛhītā pitṛkarmaṇi | tāvadvarṣasahasrāṇi pitaraḥ svargavāsinaḥ

Translation

Autant de grains de sésame que les mortels emploient dans les rites aux ancêtres, autant de milliers d’années les Pitṛs demeurent au ciel.

Word by Word

• यावन्तः: as many (as)
• यावन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (correlative adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• मर्त्यैः: by mortals
• मर्त्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• गृहीताः: taken/used
• गृहीताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (taken)

• पितृकर्मणि: in the rite for the ancestors
• पितृकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां कर्म = pitṛ-rites)

• तावत्: so many/for that much
• तावत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (correlative: so much/that many)

• वर्षसहस्राणि: thousands of years
• वर्षसहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वर्षाणां सहस्राणि = thousands of years)

• पितरः: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• स्वर्गवासिनः: dwelling in heaven
• स्वर्गवासिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्गे वासिनः = dwelling in heaven)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (ghāṭa-tīrthas collectively)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame) / pilgrims-seekers (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at a Kāśī ghāṭa offers tilā mixed with water to the Gaṅgā, while subtle celestial pitṛs receive the offering and ascend toward svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple ritual substances like sesame, when offered with dharma for the Pitṛs, generate long-lasting merit and upliftment for ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage belongs to Kāśī–Gaṅgā praise in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, implying the sacred context of Gaṅgā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Using tilā (sesame seeds) in pitṛkarman—i.e., tarpaṇa/śrāddha-related ancestral offerings.