Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कुशतीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्स्नात्वा सन्तर्पयेत्पितॄन् । दानं दत्त्वा यथाशक्त्या निर्मलं लोकमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

kuśatīrthaṃ tato gacchetsnātvā santarpayetpitṝn | dānaṃ dattvā yathāśaktyā nirmalaṃ lokamāpnuyāt

Translation

Ensuite, qu’il aille à Kuśatīrtha ; après s’être baigné, qu’il rassasie les Ancêtres selon le rite. En faisant l’aumône selon ses moyens, il atteint un monde pur.

Word by Word

• कुशतीर्थम्: Kuśa-tīrtha (the sacred ford named Kuśa)
• कुशतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; कुश + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुशस्य तीर्थम्)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—सम्बन्ध/क्रमवाचक (thereafter/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (having bathed)

• सन्तर्पयेत्: should satisfy/offer oblations to
• सन्तर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative (सन्तर्पयति), विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दानम्: a gift; charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (having given)

• यथाशक्त्या: according to (one’s) capacity
• यथाशक्त्या: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; यथा + शक्ति)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय-प्रयोगः—क्रियाविशेषण (according to one’s ability)

• निर्मलम्: pure; spotless
• निर्मलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लोकम् इति विशेष्य)

• लोकम्: world; realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: should attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuśatīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim audience (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a tīrtha with kuśa grass growing along the bank, a pilgrim bathes, then offers tarpaṇa; afterward he gives alms to a needy person or brāhmaṇa, symbolizing yathāśakti charity and purified destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśatīrtha
• Pitṛs
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is gained through a complete dharmic circuit—snāna, pitṛ-offerings, and charity in harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kuśatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing, pitṛ-santarpana (tarpaṇa), and dāna according to one’s means.