Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

संतारयति पूर्वज्ञान्दश पूर्वान्दशापरान् । यवव्रीहितिलैः सर्पिर्बिल्वपत्रैश्च दूर्वया

Transliteration

saṃtārayati pūrvajñāndaśa pūrvāndaśāparān | yavavrīhitilaiḥ sarpirbilvapatraiśca dūrvayā

Translation

യവം, വ്രീഹി, എള്ള്, നെയ്യ്, ബിൽവപത്രം, ദൂർവ പുല്ല് എന്നിവ അർപ്പിച്ച് അവൻ തന്റെ പിതൃകളെ—പത്ത് മുൻപും പത്ത് പിന്നെയും—എല്ലാവരെയും തരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• संतारयति: causes to cross/saves
• संतारयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + तॄ (धातु) (तारयति-णिच्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

• पूर्वजान्: ancestors/forefathers
• पूर्वजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे विशेषणम् (पूर्वजान्)

• पूर्वान्: former/previous
• पूर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पूर्वजान्)

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे विशेषणम् (अपरान्)

• अपरान्: later/following
• अपरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पूर्वजान् इत्यर्थे 'later ones')

• यवव्रीहितिलैः: with barley, rice, and sesame
• यवव्रीहितिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रीहि (प्रातिपदिक) + तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; त्रिपद-द्वन्द्वसमासः (यव-व्रीहि-तिल)

• सर्पिः: ghee
• सर्पिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्रव्यवाचक

• बिल्वपत्रैः: with bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'बिल्वस्य पत्राणि'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• दूर्वया: with dūrvā grass
• दूर्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूर्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa/offerings in a sacred forest clearing near water: barley, rice, sesame, ghee, bilva leaves, and dūrvā arranged; subtle presence of pitṛs receiving the offering.

Characters & Entities

• Ancestors (pūrvajāḥ)
• Bilva
• Dūrvā
• Yava
• Vrīhi
• Tila
• Sarpiḥ (ghee)
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes gratitude to lineage; properly made offerings can spiritually uplift one’s ancestors across generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the implied sacred setting where such ancestor-benefiting acts bear heightened fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛ-oriented offerings using barley, rice, sesame, ghee, bilva leaves, and dūrvā grass (materials commonly used in śrāddha/tarpaṇa contexts).