Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अनेकनरकस्थाश्च तिर्यग्योनिगताश्च ये । सकृत्पिंडप्रदानेन स्यात्ते षामक्षया गतिः

Transliteration

anekanarakasthāśca tiryagyonigatāśca ye | sakṛtpiṃḍapradānena syātte ṣāmakṣayā gatiḥ

Translation

അനേകം നരകങ്ങളിൽ കഴിയുന്നവരും, തിര്യക്-യോണിയിൽ (മൃഗജന്മത്തിൽ) പതിച്ചവരും—ഒറ്റ പ്രാവശ്യം പിണ്ഡപ്രദാനം ചെയ്താൽ പോലും അവർക്കു അക്ഷയ ഗതി (ഉദ്ധാരം) ലഭിക്കും।

Word by Word

• anekanarakasthāḥ: situated in many hells
• anekanarakasthāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka + naraka + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘ye’ इति विशेषण

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

• tiryagyonigatāḥ: gone to animal wombs (lower births)
• tiryagyonigatāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tiryak + yoni + gata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘ye’ इति विशेषण

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

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

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक/आवृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb ‘once’)

• piṇḍapradānena: by the giving of piṇḍa
• piṇḍapradānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa + pradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• syāt: would be/shall be
• syāt: Kriya (Result)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• akṣayā: imperishable
• akṣayā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘gatiḥ’ इति विशेषण

• gatiḥ: destination/attainment
• gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (continuing instruction in the episode-context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya-tīrtha (pitṛ-rite locus implied)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas / pilgrims-by-extension

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a single piṇḍa at the water’s edge; from the offering rises a luminous path lifting shadowy figures from hellish darkness and animal forms toward a bright, stable realm—visualizing ‘akṣayā gati’.

Characters & Entities

• piṇḍapradāna
• narakas (hells)
• tiryag-yoni (animal births)
• pūrvajas (implied ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion expressed through ancestral offerings can generate lasting benefit, reaching even those in extreme states of suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is upheld as a potent setting where piṇḍadāna yields far-reaching, enduring results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Even a single piṇḍa offering (sakṛt piṇḍapradāna) is stated to confer akṣaya-gati for the recipients.