Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

पित्ःणां तर्पणं कृत्वा पिण्डदानं यथाविधि । श्रावणस्य विशेषेण पूर्णिमायां युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

pitḥṇāṃ tarpaṇaṃ kṛtvā piṇḍadānaṃ yathāvidhi | śrāvaṇasya viśeṣeṇa pūrṇimāyāṃ yudhiṣṭhira

Translation

ഹേ യുധിഷ്ഠിരാ! പിതൃകൾക്കു തർപ്പണം നടത്തി, വിധിപ്രകാരം പിണ്ഡദാനം അർപ്പിച്ച്—വിശേഷിച്ച് ശ്രാവണ മാസത്തിലെ പൗർണ്ണമിയിൽ—

Word by Word

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तर्पणम्: libation/propitiation offering
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having done)

• पिण्डदानम्: offering of rice-balls (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—पिण्डस्य दानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यथाविधि: according to the prescribed rule
• यथाविधि: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb)

• श्रावणस्य: of (the month) Śrāvaṇa
• श्रावणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (मास-नाम)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Instrument/means → adverbial/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (especially)

• पूर्णिमायाम्: on the full-moon day
• पूर्णिमायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल-अधिकरण), एकवचन

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performs tarpaṇa facing the river with kuśa grass and water-libations; piṇḍas placed on darbha near the bank; full-moon of Śrāvaṇa overhead; sages instruct Yudhiṣṭhira.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Piṇḍa-dāna
• Śrāvaṇa
• Pūrṇimā
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage dharma includes responsibility to the ancestors; pitṛ-karmas performed at tīrthas are specially efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Koṭīśvara’s Revā-bank context, the tīrtha is presented as a powerful setting for pitṛ-rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛ-tarpaṇa and piṇḍa-dāna, particularly on Śrāvaṇa Pūrṇimā.