Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 147

Devanagari script

बहूदके च यः स्नात्वा सप्तम्यां माघमासके । दद्यात्पिंडं पितॄणां च तेऽक्ष्यां तृप्तिमाप्नुयुः

Transliteration

bahūdake ca yaḥ snātvā saptamyāṃ māghamāsake | dadyātpiṃḍaṃ pitṝṇāṃ ca te'kṣyāṃ tṛptimāpnuyuḥ

Translation

മാഘമാസത്തിലെ സപ്തമിദിനത്തിൽ ബഹൂദകത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് പിതൃകൾക്ക് പിണ്ഡദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ മൂലം, ആ പിതൃകൾ അക്ഷയമായ തൃപ്തി പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• बहूदके: in Bahūdaka
• बहूदके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहूदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव (gerund/absolutive)

• सप्तम्याम्: on the seventh (lunar day)
• सप्तम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular); तिथिवाचक

• माघमासके: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + मासक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पिण्डम्: rice-ball offering
• पिण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• पितॄणाम्: for the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• अक्षयाम्: imperishable
• अक्षयाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular); ‘अक्षयां (तृप्तिम्)’—विशेषणम्

• तृप्तिम्: satisfaction, contentment
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आप्नुयुः: may attain
• आप्नुयुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Bāla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūdaka-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bathes in the kuṇḍa on Māgha saptamī, then on the bank offers piṇḍas with kuśa grass and water-libations; subtle ancestral presence is suggested as a calm, satisfied aura.

Characters & Entities

• Bahūdaka
• Pitṛs (Ancestors)
• Māgha
• Saptamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes gratitude to lineage: tīrtha-bathing combined with ancestral offerings yields lasting spiritual benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bahūdaka tīrtha/kuṇḍa is praised as a powerful place for Māgha observances and pitṛ rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Māgha month Saptamī: bathe at Bahūdaka and offer piṇḍa to the pitṛs for akṣaya-tṛpti.