Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्रीयमासाद्य सत्तीर्थं पावनं महत् । पितॄणां तर्पणं चक्रे भास्करं प्रति स व्रती

Transliteration

viśvāmitrīyamāsādya sattīrthaṃ pāvanaṃ mahat | pitṝṇāṃ tarpaṇaṃ cakre bhāskaraṃ prati sa vratī

Translation

Ayant atteint Viśvāmitrī, tīrtha véritable, grand et purificateur, lui, l’observant des vœux, accomplit le tarpaṇa pour les ancêtres, tourné vers le Soleil.

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रीयम्: connected with Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रीयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + -इय (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्धित-विशेषण (विश्वामित्रसम्बन्धि)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: ल्यप् (Absolutive/Gerund)

• सत्-तीर्थम्: the holy/good tīrtha
• सत्-तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सत् तीर्थम्)

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तर्पणम्: libation/satiation offering
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चक्रे: performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भास्करम्: the Sun
• भास्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय; दिशाबोधक/सम्बन्धबोधक (towards)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• व्रती: vow-observer/ascetic
• व्रती: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (one observing a vow)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvāmitrī

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a bright riverbank, Māṇḍavya stands knee-deep or at the edge, hands cupped in añjali, offering water for ancestors; the Sun disk is prominent in the sky, rays falling on the ford; ritual vessels nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Viśvāmitrī Tīrtha
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Bhāskara (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is praised as ‘sat’ (true) and ‘pāvana’ (purifying) when it supports dharmic duties like honoring the Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśvāmitrī Tīrtha, associated with the sage Viśvāmitra, is explicitly named and praised as greatly purifying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛ-tarpaṇa (ancestral libations), performed bhāskaraṃ prati—facing the Sun.