Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तर्पयामास कव्येन प्रत्यब्दं पितृदेवताः । त्रयीमध्यैष्ट सततमपाठीच्छास्त्रमर्थवत्

Transliteration

tarpayāmāsa kavyena pratyabdaṃ pitṛdevatāḥ | trayīmadhyaiṣṭa satatamapāṭhīcchāstramarthavat

Translation

Setiap tahun baginda menenteramkan para dewa leluhur dengan persembahan kavya (śrāddha). Baginda sentiasa melaksanakan upacara berasaskan tiga Veda, serta menelaah śāstra dengan memahami maknanya.

Word by Word

• तर्पयामास: satisfied / propitiated
• तर्पयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तृप् (धातु √तृप्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense): तर्पय-

• कव्येन: with ancestral offering (kavya)
• कव्येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रत्यब्दम्: every year
• प्रत्यब्दम्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial): 'प्रति अब्दम्' = every year

• पितृदेवताः: the ancestral deities (Pitṛs)
• पितृदेवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'पितॄणां देवताः'

• त्रयीम्: the Vedic triad (three Vedas)
• त्रयीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अध्यैष्ट: studied
• अध्यैष्ट: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-√इ (धातु √इ)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: अधि-; अर्थे: 'अध्ययनम् अकरोत्'

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: continually)

• अपाठीৎ: recited / read
• अपाठीৎ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पठ् (धातु √पठ्)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/Imperfective past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शास्त्रम्: treatise/scripture
• शास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्थवत्: meaningful / with understanding
• अर्थवत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective)

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Manojava performs annual pitṛ-tarpaṇa with water and sesame; a śrāddha setting with offerings (kavya) to ancestors; later, the king studies scriptures with a teacher, emphasizing comprehension.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestral deities)
• Trayī (Three Vedas)
• Manojava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes gratitude to ancestors, fidelity to Vedic discipline, and scriptural study that penetrates meaning—not mere recitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly supports the Maṅgala-tīrtha legend by portraying the king’s dharmic qualifications that make the tīrtha narrative exemplary.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Annual pitṛ-tarpaṇa/offerings (kavya), continual Vedic rites, and meaningful study/recitation of śāstra.