Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तर्पणं पिंडदानं च यः कुर्याद्भक्तितत्परः । स याति विष्णुसालोक्यं पूर्वजैः सह पार्थिव

Transliteration

tarpaṇaṃ piṃḍadānaṃ ca yaḥ kuryādbhaktitatparaḥ | sa yāti viṣṇusālokyaṃ pūrvajaiḥ saha pārthiva

Translation

ഭക്തിയോടെ തർപ്പണവും പിണ്ഡദാനവും ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, ഹേ രാജാവേ, പിതൃഗണങ്ങളോടുകൂടെ വിഷ്ണുലോകവാസം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तर्पणम्: libation/oblatory offering (tarpaṇa)
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पिण्डदानम्: offering of piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—पिण्डस्य दानम्

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• भक्तितत्परः: devotionally intent
• भक्तितत्परः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—भक्तौ तत्परः (devotion-intent)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• विष्णुसालोक्यम्: Viṣṇu’s realm (sālokya)
• विष्णुसालोक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + सालोक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—विष्णोः सालोक्यम् (विष्णुलोक-प्राप्ति)

• पूर्वजैः: with the forefathers
• पूर्वजैः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association marker/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपसर्गवत्/निपात (with)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya (continuing the instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāha Tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as ‘pārthiva’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted pilgrim at a sacred waterbody performs tarpaṇa with cupped hands and offers piṇḍas on darbha grass, while a serene Viṣṇu presence is implied; ancestral figures appear subtly, receiving the offering and ascending toward a luminous Vaikuṇṭha-like realm.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• tarpaṇa
• piṇḍadāna
• pūrvajas (forefathers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through pitṛ-rites becomes a bridge of grace benefiting both the performer and the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāha Tīrtha is the implied setting where these pitṛ rites yield exceptional fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa (water libations) and piṇḍadāna (rice-ball offerings) performed with bhakti.