Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कुलानां तारयेद्विंशं दश पूर्वान् दशापरान् । दक्षिणस्यां ततो मूर्तौ शुचिर्भूत्वा समाहितः

Transliteration

kulānāṃ tārayedviṃśaṃ daśa pūrvān daśāparān | dakṣiṇasyāṃ tato mūrtau śucirbhūtvā samāhitaḥ

Translation

Ia menyelamatkan dua puluh garis keturunan—sepuluh generasi terdahulu dan sepuluh generasi sesudahnya. Lalu, setelah suci dan batin terpusat, hendaknya mengarahkan ritus kepada wujud selatan (arah Pitṛ).

Word by Word

• कुलानाम्: of families/lineages
• कुलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• तारयेत्: should deliver; should save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगार्थ (causative sense) ‘to cause to cross/save’

• विंशम्: twenty
• विंशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; संख्याशब्द

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; (प्रयोगे) द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे ‘ten’

• पूर्वान्: former; preceding (ancestors)
• पूर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; (प्रयोगे) द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे ‘ten’

• अपरान्: later; following (descendants)
• अपरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दक्षिणस्याम्: in the southern (direction/side)
• दक्षिणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद् + तस्)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तर-अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

• मूर्तौ: in the form/image
• मूर्तौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• शुचिः: pure; clean
• शुचिः: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• समाहितः: composed; concentrated
• समाहितः: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrotṛ audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, purified and steady, turns toward the south on a riverbank, performing offerings; behind him a stylized lineage tree shows ancestors and descendants being uplifted.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛ-direction (South)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites are communal in effect—uplifting both forebears and descendants—when performed with purity and focus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Reva Khaṇḍa rite-context rather than naming a new tīrtha; the emphasis is on pitṛ-directional practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain śauca (purity) and samādhāna (collected attention), and orient the pitṛ-rite toward the southern direction.