Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे हुतं दत्तं गुरवस्तोषिता यदि । मृतानां सप्त जन्मानि फलमक्षयमश्नुते

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe hutaṃ dattaṃ guravastoṣitā yadi | mṛtānāṃ sapta janmāni phalamakṣayamaśnute

Translation

ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ഹോമം നടത്തി, ദാനം നൽകി, ഗുരുക്കന്മാരെ തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തിയാൽ—മൃതർക്കു ഏഴ് ജന്മങ്ങൾ വരെ അക്ഷയഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• हुतम्: fire-offering
• हुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हु (धातु) → हुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘offered into fire’

• दत्तम्: gift given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘given (as gift)’

• गुरवः: teachers/elders
• गुरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• तोषिताः: pleased
• तोषिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु) → तोषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative-base + क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (pleased/satisfied)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त (if)

• मृतानाम्: of the departed
• मृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; ‘of the dead’

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; ‘seven’ (जनमानि इति विशेषण)

• जन्मानि: births
• जन्मानि: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (imperishable)

• अश्नुते: attains/enjoys
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (contextual narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṇamocana-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside altar with a small homa fire; the pilgrim offers oblations, gives gifts to priests, and bows to gurus/elders; above, departed ancestors receive light, symbolizing akṣaya fruit for seven births.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Gurus/Elders
• Departed ancestors

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acts done at a tīrtha—homa, dāna, and honoring gurus—generate enduring merit that benefits even the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same unnamed tīrtha referenced as ‘tatra tīrthe’ in the ongoing Revā Khaṇḍa passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa/offerings (huta), charitable giving (datta), and satisfying elders/teachers (guru-toṣa).