Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

माहात्म्यं श्रावयेद्विप्राञ्छ्रीपतेः श्राद्धकर्मणि । घृतेन मधुना तेन तर्पिताः स्युः पितामहाः

Transliteration

māhātmyaṃ śrāvayedviprāñchrīpateḥ śrāddhakarmaṇi | ghṛtena madhunā tena tarpitāḥ syuḥ pitāmahāḥ

Translation

ശ്രീപതി (വിഷ്ണു)യുടെ ശ്രാദ്ധകർമ്മത്തിൽ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർക്ക് ഈ മഹാത്മ്യം ശ്രവിപ്പിക്കണം; അതിനാൽ പിതൃക്കൾ നെയ്യും തേനും അർപ്പിച്ച തർപ്പണത്തുപോലെ തൃപ്തരാകും।

Word by Word

• माहात्म्यम्: glory, sacred greatness (eulogy)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)

• श्रावयेत्: should cause to be recited / should have (it) recited
• श्रावयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/optative sense in injunction), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• श्रीपतेः: of Śrīpati (Viṣṇu)
• श्रीपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + पति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘श्रियाः पतिः’)

• श्राद्धकर्मणि: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्धकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; समासः—श्राद्ध + कर्मन् (तत्पुरुषः)

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• तेन: by that (means/act)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तर्पिताः: satisfied, gratified
• तर्पिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु) → तर्पित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• स्युः: would be / may become
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• पितामहाः: grandfathers; ancestors
• पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (continued phalaśruti and ritual instruction sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīpati-māhātmya (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) a king addressed as 'dharādhiśa' / royal inquirer

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting: a householder performs rites before brāhmaṇas seated in a row; a reciter reads the māhātmya; offerings of ghee and honey are symbolically present; pitṛs are envisioned as satisfied in the subtle realm.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīpati (Viṣṇu)
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇas)
• Pitāmaha/Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural hearing is itself an offering: reciting sacred māhātmya during śrāddha can satisfy the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-khaṇḍa māhātmya (connected with the Revā/Narmadā tīrtha tradition) is recommended for śrāddha recitation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At a śrāddha for Śrīpati, have brāhmaṇas hear the māhātmya; it functions like tarpaṇa with ghee and honey.