Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यथा हि कटुतिक्तादि गवा ग्रस्तं हि क्षीरदम् । एवमेतत्त्विदं तोयं पितॄणां तृप्ति दायकम्

Transliteration

yathā hi kaṭutiktādi gavā grastaṃ hi kṣīradam | evametattvidaṃ toyaṃ pitṝṇāṃ tṛpti dāyakam

Translation

പശു കഠു-തിക്തമായതും കഴിച്ചാലും പാലു നൽകുന്നതുപോലെ, ഈ ജലം പിതൃകൾക്ക് തൃപ്തി നൽകുന്നതാണ്.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्ययम् (comparative adverb: 'just as')

• हि: indeed
• हि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्ययम् (emphasis)

• कटु-तिक्त-आदि: pungent, bitter, etc. (things)
• कटु-तिक्त-आदि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटु (प्रातिपदिक) + तिक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (समाहार-द्वन्द्वः) ‘कटुं च तिक्तं च आदयः’ = ‘pungent, bitter, etc.’

• गवा: by the cow
• गवा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्ता-हेतुः), एकवचन; ‘गवा’ = ‘गवया’ (Instrumental singular: 'by the cow')

• ग्रस्तम्: swallowed
• ग्रस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; ‘ग्रस्तम्’ = ‘भक्षितम्’ (Ppp: 'swallowed/eaten')

• हि: indeed
• हि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्ययम् (emphasis)

• क्षीरदम्: milk-giving
• क्षीरदम्: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक/कृत् ‘द’ from √दा in sense ‘giving’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘क्षीरं ददाति’ (milk-giving)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: 'thus/in the same way')

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (this)

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपातः (particle: 'but/indeed')

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (this)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (water)

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

• तृप्ति: satisfaction
• तृप्ति: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (satisfaction)

• दायकम्: giving / bestowing
• दायकम्: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यक (कृत्-प्रत्यय) / दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त-विशेषणम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; ‘दायकम्’ = ‘ददाति इति’ (giver/bestower)

Speaker

Devas (illustrating the principle with an analogy)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-tīrtha

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cow grazing on bitter herbs in the foreground; in the background, devotees offer tarpaṇa at brackish water; a sage explains the analogy, linking milk’s purity to the tīrtha’s spiritual potency.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Cow (gauḥ)
• Mahī–Sāgara water

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer qualities do not limit inner efficacy; sacred intention and tīrtha-power make the rite fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama tīrtha (context of saline water and Pitṛ rites).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It supports the acceptability of using the local water for Pitṛ-tarpaṇa/snāna by explaining its spiritual efficacy.