Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

कृत्वा स्नानं विधानेन पूजयित्वा च तं नृप । पिण्डनिर्वपणं कुर्यात्तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु

Transliteration

kṛtvā snānaṃ vidhānena pūjayitvā ca taṃ nṛpa | piṇḍanirvapaṇaṃ kuryāttasya puṇyaphalaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

ഹേ നൃപാ, വിധിപൂർവം സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് അവനെ പൂജിച്ച ശേഷം പിണ്ഡനിർവപണം ചെയ്യണം; അതിന്റെ പുണ്യഫലം കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having done’

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

• विधानेन: according to the prescribed method
• विधानेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजयित्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having worshipped’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तम्: him/that (deity)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• पिण्डनिर्वपणम्: the offering of piṇḍas (funeral rice-balls)
• पिण्डनिर्वपणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + निर्वपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पिण्डस्य निर्वपणम् = offering of rice-balls)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• पुण्यफलम्: the meritorious result
• पुण्यफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पुण्यस्य फलम्)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Unspecified (addressing Yudhiṣṭhira as nṛpa suggests a narrator speaking to the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kusumeśvara-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (Rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist completes prescribed bathing and worship, then places rice-balls (piṇḍas) on kuśa grass near the riverbank, with offerings arranged neatly; the king-listener is implied in the narrative frame.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛpa (King—Yudhiṣṭhira, implied)
• Piṇḍa (ancestral offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rituals gain fullness when performed in proper order—rule-based bathing, worship, and then ancestral offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kusumeśa-tīrtha, within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s praise of Narmadā-region sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After prescribed snāna and worship, perform piṇḍa-nirvapaṇa (piṇḍa offerings for ancestors).