Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

येन तातं निजं भक्त्या तर्पयित्वा विधानतः । ऋणस्य मुक्तिर्भवति येन मे पैतृकस्यच

Transliteration

yena tātaṃ nijaṃ bhaktyā tarpayitvā vidhānataḥ | ṛṇasya muktirbhavati yena me paitṛkasyaca

Translation

Par ceci, ayant comblé son propre père avec dévotion et selon la règle rituelle, on obtient la délivrance de la dette ; de même (la délivrance) de mon obligation ancestrale.

Word by Word

• येन: by which, whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘by which/whereby’

• तातम्: father
• तातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• निजम्: one's own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तातम्)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• तर्पयित्वा: having satisfied
• तर्पयित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु; caus. तर्पय्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); causative sense ‘having satisfied’

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed rite
• विधानतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = ‘according to rule/ritually’

• ऋणस्य: of the debt
• ऋणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मुक्तिः: release, liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (कर्ता/वर्ण्य), एकवचन

• भवति: becomes, occurs
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त-सम्बन्ध ‘whereby’

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; enclitic

• पैतृकस्य: ancestral, pertaining to the father/ancestors
• पैतृकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ऋणस्य understood)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) = conjunction ‘and’

Speaker

Rāma (Paraśurāma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm concluding tableau: the pitṛ-tarpaṇa act is understood as completed; the rishi explains that devotion and proper rule bring release from debt and fulfill ancestral obligation.

Characters & Entities

• pitṛ-ṛṇa (ancestral debt, concept)
• father (tāta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional, rule-guided ancestor offerings are presented as a dharmic means to lessen or discharge pitṛ-related obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The benefit statement is tied to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra pit described immediately before.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform tarpaṇa for one’s father/ancestors with bhakti and in accordance with vidhi (proper injunction).