Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

काकावूचतुः । इक्ष्वाकुसम्भवो राजा चाणक्यो नाम धार्मिकः । द्वादशाहे मृतस्यास्य तर्पितावशनादिभिः

Transliteration

kākāvūcatuḥ | ikṣvākusambhavo rājā cāṇakyo nāma dhārmikaḥ | dvādaśāhe mṛtasyāsya tarpitāvaśanādibhiḥ

Translation

കാക്കകൾ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇക്ഷ്വാകു വംശത്തിൽ ജനിച്ച ചാണക്യൻ എന്ന ധാർമ്മിക രാജാവുണ്ട്. ഈ മരിച്ചവന്റെ ദ്വാദശാഹ കർമത്തിൽ അവൻ അന്നാദികളാൽ ഞങ്ങളെ തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തി.

Word by Word

• काकौ: two crows
• काकौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘two crows’

• ऊचतुः: said (the two)
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• इक्ष्वाकु-सम्भवः: descended from Ikṣvāku
• इक्ष्वाकु-सम्भवः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इक्ष्वाकु (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चाणक्यः: Cāṇakya
• चाणक्यः: Karta (Subject/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाणक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, संज्ञासूचक-निपात

• धार्मिकः: righteous
• धार्मिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्वादशाहे: on the twelfth day
• द्वादशाहे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• मृतस्य: of the deceased
• मृतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; मृ + क्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तर्पितौ: were satisfied
• तर्पितौ: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप् (धातु) + णिच् + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• अशन-आदिभिः: with food and the like
• अशन-आदिभिः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अशनादि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘by food etc.’

Speaker

Kākau (the two crows)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-context (implied source of rite)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yama (Dharmarāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The crows respond in unison to Yama, naming the Ikṣvāku-line king Cāṇakya and the dvādaśāha rite as the source of their satisfaction and adornment.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Ikṣvāku
• Cāṇakya (king)
• Dvādāśāha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings made with faith during śrāddha rites generate real benefit, acknowledged even before Yama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is on the rite (dvādāśāha) rather than a named site; within Revā Khaṇḍa, such rites are framed as tīrtha-linked dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dvādāśāha observance with food and related offerings (aśanādibhiḥ) as part of śrāddha/tarpaṇa duty.