Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तर्पयन्ति पितॄन् देवांस्तेऽश्वमेधफलैर्युताः । सुवर्णं ये प्रयच्छन्ति तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप

Transliteration

tarpayanti pitṝn devāṃste'śvamedhaphalairyutāḥ | suvarṇaṃ ye prayacchanti tasmiṃstīrthe narādhipa

Translation

ഹേ നരാധിപാ! ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ പിതൃകൾക്കും ദേവന്മാർക്കും തർപ്പണം ചെയ്യുന്നവർ അശ്വമേധയാഗഫലത്തോടു തുല്യമായ പുണ്യം നേടുന്നു; അവിടെ സ്വർണം ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവരും അതേ പുണ്യത്തിൽ യുക്തരാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तर्पयन्ति: they satisfy/offer libations to
• तर्पयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्/तर्प् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अश्वमेधफलैः: with the fruits of the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधफलैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः)

• युताः: endowed/associated
• युताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रयच्छन्ति: give/bestow
• प्रयच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तीर्थे: at the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नराधिप: O lord of men (king)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate narrative context of Revā Khaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the ghat, a kingly donor and pilgrims offer tarpaṇa—water streams from cupped hands—toward the river; priests receive suvarṇa-dāna; Agni’s presence is suggested by a nearby altar flame.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Devas
• Aśvamedha
• Agni-tīrtha (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-based worship—especially tarpaṇa to ancestors and gods—multiplies merit, and charity done at a sacred place becomes exceptionally potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the tīrtha being discussed in Adhyāya 33—Agni-tīrtha within the Revā (Narmadā) sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing tarpaṇa to Pitṛs and Devas, and giving suvarṇa-dāna (donation of gold) at the tīrtha.