Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अतर्पयन्पितॄन्दिव्यान्व्यधुः श्राद्धानि श्रद्धया । धर्मेशं स्नापयामासुस्तत्तीर्थाम्बुभृतैर्घटैः

Transliteration

atarpayanpitṝndivyānvyadhuḥ śrāddhāni śraddhayā | dharmeśaṃ snāpayāmāsustattīrthāmbubhṛtairghaṭaiḥ

Translation

അവർ ദിവ്യ പിതൃകളെ തർപ്പണംകൊണ്ട് തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തി, ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ശ്രാദ്ധകർമ്മങ്ങൾ നിർവഹിച്ചു; കൂടാതെ ആ തീർത്ഥജലം നിറച്ച ഘടങ്ങളാൽ ധർമ്മേശ്വരന് അഭിഷേകസ്നാനം നടത്തി.

Word by Word

• atarpayan: they satisfied
• atarpayan: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in context ‘satisfied’

• pitṝn: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• pitṝn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• divyān: divine
• divyān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• vyadhuḥ: they performed
• vyadhuḥ: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘performed/did’

• śrāddhāni: śrāddha rites
• śrāddhāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• dharma-īśam: the Lord of Dharma
• dharma-īśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• snāpayāmāsuḥ: they bathed (him) / caused to bathe
• snāpayāmāsuḥ: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative) + लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘made (him) bathe’

• tat-tīrtha-ambu-bhṛtaiḥ: filled with water from that tīrtha
• tat-tīrtha-ambu-bhṛtaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ghaṭaiḥ/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad + tīrtha + ambu + bhṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (‘bearing water of that tīrtha’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ghaṭaiḥ: with pots
• ghaṭaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages perform tarpaṇa with cupped hands, then conduct śrāddha offerings; nearby, a Śiva-liṅga (Dharmaśvara) receives abhiṣeka from kalashas filled with Dharma-tīrtha water; atmosphere is solemn and auspicious.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Śrāddha
• Tarpaṇa
• Dharmaśvara
• Dharmatīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī harmonizes duties to ancestors (pitṛ-dharma) with devotion to Śiva, presenting both as mutually elevating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmatīrtha/Dharma-tīrtha at Dharmapīṭha, whose waters are used for rites and for bathing Dharmaśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa to Pitṛs, śrāddha performed with faith, and abhiṣeka/snāpana of Dharmaśvara using pots of tīrtha-water.