Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

पूर्णमास्याममावास्यां स्नात्वा तु पितृतर्पणम् । यः करोति तिलैः स्नानं तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु

Transliteration

pūrṇamāsyāmamāvāsyāṃ snātvā tu pitṛtarpaṇam | yaḥ karoti tilaiḥ snānaṃ tasya puṇyaphalaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

പൗർണ്ണമിയും അമാവാസിയും സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, എള്ളോടുകൂടി പിതൃതർപ്പണം നടത്തി സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവന്റെ പുണ്യഫലം കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• पूर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पूर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done)

• तु: indeed/and then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• पितृतर्पणम्: offering (libation) to the ancestors
• पितृतर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां तर्पणम्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पुण्यफलम्: meritorious result
• पुण्यफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (पुण्यं फलम् / पुण्यस्य फलम्)

• शृणु: hear (listen)
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva) (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a riverbank on amāvāsyā/pūrṇimā: dawn light, calm Revā waters, offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; sesame seeds and darbha grass visible; subtle presence of satisfied pitṛs in the ether.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛ (ancestors)
• Pūrṇimā
• Amāvāsyā
• Tila (sesame)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring ancestors through tarpaṇa, especially on sacred lunar days, is a powerful dharmic act that increases merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Revā-khaṇḍa tīrtha framework; the immediate focus is on timing (pūrṇimā/amāvāsyā) and pitṛ rites rather than a single named spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna, pitṛ-tarpaṇa, and tila-snāna performed on pūrṇimā and amāvāsyā.