Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

ततस्तै रुधिरैः स्नात्वा समादाय तिलान्बहून् । अपसव्यं समाधाय प्रचक्रे पितृतर्पणम्

Transliteration

tatastai rudhiraiḥ snātvā samādāya tilānbahūn | apasavyaṃ samādhāya pracakre pitṛtarpaṇam

Translation

Puis, s’étant baigné dans ce sang et ayant pris de nombreuses graines de sésame, il plaça le cordon sacré (yajñopavīta) en mode apasavya et accomplit le tarpaṇa pour les Pitṛ (ancêtres).

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• तैः: with those
• तैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• रुधिरैः: with blood
• रुधिरैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• समादाय: having taken/collected
• समादाय: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तिलान्: sesame seeds
• तिलान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• अपसव्यम्: the apasavya position (leftward mode)
• अपसव्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपसव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘अपसव्य’ (leftward/with sacred thread on right shoulder) भावः

• समाधाय: having arranged/placed
• समाधाय: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• प्रचक्रे: performed
• प्रचक्रे: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-चर्/कृ (धातु: कृ, लिट् आत्मनेपद)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (चक्रे-रूपम्)

• पितृतर्पणम्: offering of satisfaction to the ancestors
• पितृतर्पणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां तर्पणम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma stands at a ritual spot with vessels and heaps of sesame; his sacred thread is shifted to apasavya as he offers tarpaṇa, while ascetics witness in silence; the ‘blood-bath’ is depicted symbolically (red-tinted water) rather than graphically.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Paraśurāma (implied)
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas stress that ancestral duty (pitṛ-ṛṇa) is discharged through correct rite and intention, especially at sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within this adhyāya’s frame, the rites are performed in connection with Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛtarpaṇa with tila (sesame), performed with the yajñopavīta set apasavya (right-to-left), preceded by snāna (bathing).