Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

पितॄणामक्षया तृप्तिर्जायते दिवि निश्चितम् । यथा गयाशिरः पुण्यं पितॄणां तृप्तिदं परम्

Transliteration

pitṝṇāmakṣayā tṛptirjāyate divi niścitam | yathā gayāśiraḥ puṇyaṃ pitṝṇāṃ tṛptidaṃ param

Translation

ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ ಪಿತೃಗಳಿಗೆ ಸ್ವರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಕ್ಷಯ ತೃಪ್ತಿ ಉಂಟಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಗಯಾಶಿರಸ್ಸು ಹೇಗೆ ಪರಮ ಪುಣ್ಯಕರವಾಗಿ ಪಿತೃತೃಪ್ತಿದಾಯಕವೋ, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಇದೂ ಆಗಿದೆ।

Word by Word

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• अक्षया: imperishable, unfailing
• अक्षया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तृप्तिः)

• तृप्तिः: satisfaction/contentment
• तृप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (दिव्-शब्दः)

• निश्चितम्: certainly
• निश्चितम्: Vakyopapadana (Sentence qualifier/वाक्यविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निश्चित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन—वाक्ये निश्चयार्थकं (certainly)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamana-bodhaka (Comparator/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/illustrative)

• गया-शिरः: Gayā-śiras (the head/peak at Gayā)
• गया-शिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गयायाः शिरः)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गयाशिरः)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• तृप्ति-दम्: giving satisfaction
• तृप्ति-दम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा/दम् ‘to give’ sense)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (तृप्तिं ददाति इति)

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गयाशिरः/पुण्यम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī–Sāgara-saṅgama (implied)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene vision: ancestors in a celestial realm receive offerings as streams of light rising from the confluence rites; Gayāśiras appears as a symbolic sacred hill in the background, establishing the analogy of supreme pitṛ satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Gayāśiras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acts done with dharmic intent for the ancestors can yield inexhaustible (akṣaya) Pitṛ-satisfaction.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Gayāśiras (Gayā), famed for ancestral rites and Pitṛ-tarpaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies the efficacy of Pitṛ-oriented rites such as śrāddha/tarpaṇa performed at powerful tīrthas.