Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ऋते च पिंडदानेन पूर्वजाः शाश्वतीः समाः । रौरवे नरके घोरे कुंभीपाके च ये गताः

Transliteration

ṛte ca piṃḍadānena pūrvajāḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ | raurave narake ghore kuṃbhīpāke ca ye gatāḥ

Translation

കൂടാതെ പിണ്ഡദാനം ഇല്ലെങ്കിൽ, റൗരവം, കുംഭീപാകം മുതലായ ഭീകര നരകങ്ങളിൽ പതിച്ച പിതൃകൾ അനന്ത വർഷങ്ങൾ അവിടെ തന്നെ കഴിയേണ്ടിവരും।

Word by Word

• ṛte: without/except
• ṛte: Apavāda (Exception)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ṛte (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वर्जनार्थक उपपद (preposition-like ‘except/without’), तृतीया-सम्बन्धेन

• ca: and
• ca: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• piṇḍadānena: by offering piṇḍa (funeral oblation)
• piṇḍadānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• pūrvajāḥ: ancestors/forefathers
• pūrvajāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• śāśvatīḥ: eternal/lasting
• śāśvatīḥ: Kāla-parimāṇa (Extent of time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘samāḥ’ इति विशेषण (अत्र छन्दोवशात् लिङ्ग-व्यत्ययः)

• samāḥ: years
• samāḥ: Kāla-parimāṇa (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक; ‘year’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाणवाचक

• raurave: in Raurava (hell)
• raurave: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• narake: in hell
• narake: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ghore: terrible
• ghore: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘narake’ इति विशेषण

• kuṃbhīpāke: in Kumbhīpāka (hell)
• kuṃbhīpāke: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṃbhīpāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• gatāḥ: have gone
• gatāḥ: Kriya (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘gone’

Speaker

Śiva (continuing instruction in the episode-context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya-kṣetra (pitṛ-rite context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas / pilgrims-by-extension

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark contrast scene: shadowy visions of Raurava and Kuṃbhīpāka narakas with suffering beings, juxtaposed with a devotee offering piṇḍas and water (tarpaṇa) in a sacred setting, invoking compassion and urgency.

Characters & Entities

• pūrvajas (ancestors)
• piṇḍadāna
• Raurava naraka
• Kuṃbhīpāka naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-kārya is a vital dharma: piṇḍadāna is portrayed as a decisive aid for ancestors suffering severe post-mortem states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Dharmāraṇya’s sacred setting, ancestral rites like piṇḍadāna are framed as especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍadāna (offering of piṇḍas to ancestors) is emphasized as necessary for alleviating ancestral suffering.