Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

आसु तोयमपि स्नात्वा तिल दर्भविमिश्रितम् । पितॄनुद्दिश्य यो दद्यात्स याति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

āsu toyamapi snātvā tila darbhavimiśritam | pitṝnuddiśya yo dadyātsa yāti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

ആ പുണ്യജലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, എള്ളും ദർഭയും (കുശ) കലർത്തിയ തർപ്പണം പിതൃകൾക്കായി അർപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ പരമഗതി പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• आसु: in these (days/tithis)
• आसु: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; ‘आसु’ = in these (tithis)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (also/even)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• तिल: sesame (seeds)
• तिल: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र—समास/विशेषणार्थे (sesame)

• दर्भ-विमिश्रितम्: mixed with darbha grass
• दर्भ-विमिश्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of offering)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दर्भ + विमिश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक); धातु: वि+मिश्र् (धातु) → विमिश्रित
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (mixed with darbha-grass)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• उद्दिश्य: dedicating (to), intending for
• उद्दिश्य: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); उद्देश्य-निर्देश (having dedicated/aimed at)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष?—अत्र तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याति: goes, attains
• याति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गतिम्: state, destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object of attainment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, freshly bathed, stands at a riverbank/kuṇḍa holding a small añjali of water mixed with black sesame and darbha, offering tarpaṇa toward the southern direction; subtle presence of Pitṛs receiving the libation.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• darbha (kuśa grass)
• tila (sesame)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence to ancestors through simple, sincere offerings—supported by sacred bathing—becomes a direct cause of spiritual elevation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse references ‘those waters’ within a tīrtha-māhātmya context; the snippet itself does not name the waterbody, but treats it as a sanctifying tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bath) followed by Pitṛ-tarpaṇa using water mixed with tila (sesame) and darbha (kuśa grass).