Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

आवाहनार्घ्यरहितं पिंडान्दद्यात्प्रयत्नतः । वसुरुद्रादितिसुतस्वरूपपुरुषत्रयम्

Transliteration

āvāhanārghyarahitaṃ piṃḍāndadyātprayatnataḥ | vasurudrāditisutasvarūpapuruṣatrayam

Translation

आवाहन व अर्घ्य न करता, प्रयत्नपूर्वक पिंडदान करावे—वसु, रुद्र व आदित्यस्वरूप पुरुषत्रय मानून।

Word by Word

• आवाहनार्घ्यरहितम्: devoid of invocation and arghya-offering
• आवाहनार्घ्यरहितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आवाहन + अर्घ्य + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; नञ्-भावार्थे ‘रहित’ अन्त-तत्पुरुषः (आवाहनार्घ्ययोः रहितम्)

• पिंडान्: rice-balls (piṇḍas)
• पिंडान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• दद्यात्: should give/offer
• दद्यात्: Kriya (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रयत्नतः: with care/effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya (रीति-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: ‘with effort’)

• वसुरुद्रादितिसुतस्वरूपपुरुषत्रयम्: the triad of persons in the forms of Vasus, Rudras, and Aditi’s sons (Ādityas)
• वसुरुद्रादितिसुतस्वरूपपुरुषत्रयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु + रुद्र + अदिति-सुत + स्वरूप + पुरुष + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; ‘त्रयम्’ मुख्यपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candroda (śrāddha spot)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest and pilgrim sit on the ghat platform; three piṇḍas are placed in a row on darbha; above them, symbolic presence of the Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityas suggested through subtle iconographic motifs (eight, eleven, twelve) in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Vasus
• Rudras
• Ādityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a highly sanctified tīrtha, śrāddha may be performed in a simplified yet potent form, with offerings linked to cosmic divine groups.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction continues within the Candroda-tīrtha context in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer three piṇḍas carefully, omitting āvāhana and arghya, conceiving them as a triad related to Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityas.