Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12
पिण्डदानेन चैकेन तिलतोयेन वा नृप । तृप्यन्ति द्वादशाब्दानि पितरो नात्र संशयः
piṇḍadānena caikena tilatoyena vā nṛpa | tṛpyanti dvādaśābdāni pitaro nātra saṃśayaḥ
ഹേ നൃപാ! ഒരൊറ്റ പിണ്ഡദാനത്താലോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ എള്ളുകലർന്ന ജലത്താലോ, പിതൃകൾ പന്ത്രണ്ടു വർഷം തൃപ്തരാകും—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല.
Mārkaṇḍeya (narrator)
Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (piṇḍa/tila-toya śrāddha efficacy)
Type: ghat
Listener: A king (nṛpa)
Scene: A king is instructed: a single piṇḍa offering or sesame-water tarpaṇa at the riverbank satisfies Pitṛs for twelve years; ritual items—piṇḍas, tila, water vessel—are prominent.
FAQs
Even a small, sincere ancestral offering—done properly—yields long-lasting spiritual benefit.
The ongoing context is the Paitāmaha-tīrtha on the Revā (Narmadā), famed for effective Pitṛ rites.
Offer piṇḍa-dāna or perform tarpaṇa with tila-mixed water for the Pitṛs.