Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

आविरासुस्ततस्तीर्थादथ दिव्यपितामहाः । तान्दृष्ट्वा ते सुराः सर्वे तर्पयांचक्रिरे मुदा

Transliteration

āvirāsustatastīrthādatha divyapitāmahāḥ | tāndṛṣṭvā te surāḥ sarve tarpayāṃcakrire mudā

Translation

するとそのティールタから、光り輝くピトリ（祖霊の父祖）たちが顕現した。彼らを見て、諸天はみな喜びつつタルパナ（慰撫の供養）を捧げた。

Word by Word

• आविरासुः: appeared, became manifest
• आविरासुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आविर् + √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural); आविर्-भावार्थे (to become manifest)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (sequential adverb)

• तीर्थात्: from the sacred ford
• तीर्थात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Kriya-visheshana (Discourse particle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक (then/now particle)

• दिव्यपितामहाः: divine grandfathers (Pitṛs)
• दिव्यपितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• तर्पयाम्: (the act of) satisfying/propitiating
• तर्पयाम्: Karma (Object of auxiliary action/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तृप् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative stem तर्पय-; here as verbal noun/infinitival element in periphrastic perfect construction with चक्रिरे (तर्पयां चक्रिरे = they performed satisfying)

• चक्रिरे: they did/performed
• चक्रिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā-hrada

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the luminous waters arise radiant pitṛs—majestic, subtle-bodied, crowned with light; devas stand with cupped hands offering tarpaṇa, faces bright with relief and devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Divya Pitāmahas (Pitṛs)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas connect worlds—devas and pitṛs—so honoring ancestors through tarpaṇa is integral to Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha just established and named in context: Kapilā-hrada in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa—offerings to satisfy the Pitṛs (ancestors)—is explicitly performed.