Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

पितृवंशे मृता ये च मातृवंशे तथैव च । अतीतगोत्रजास्तेभ्यः पिंडोऽयमुपतिष्ठतु

Transliteration

pitṛvaṃśe mṛtā ye ca mātṛvaṃśe tathaiva ca | atītagotrajāstebhyaḥ piṃḍo'yamupatiṣṭhatu

Translation

ପିତୃବଂଶରେ ଯେମାନେ ମୃତ୍ୟୁବରଣ କରିଛନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ମାତୃବଂଶରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଯେମାନେ ମୃତ, ତଥା ଅତୀତ ଓ ବିସ୍ମୃତ ଗୋତ୍ରଜମାନଙ୍କୁ—ଏହି ପିଣ୍ଡ ଅର୍ପିତ ହେଉ।

Word by Word

• पितृवंशे: in the paternal lineage
• पितृवंशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ-वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां वंशः)

• मृताः: dead (ones)
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक विशेषण (dead)

• ये: who (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

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

• मातृवंशे: in the maternal lineage
• मातृवंशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ-वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातॄणां वंशः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb: in that manner/likewise)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

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

• अतीतगोत्रजाः: those belonging to past/previous gotras
• अतीतगोत्रजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतीत-गोत्र-ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अतीतं गोत्रं येषां/यतः) + ज (born/related)

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), बहुवचन

• पिण्डः: rice-ball offering (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपतिष्ठतु: may it be presented/attend (to them)
• उपतिष्ठतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) उप + स्था
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic instruction; this functions as the piṇḍa-mantra segment)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) a deva addressed as ‘surasattama’ in adjacent verses; also the human audience of the Purāṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder at a riverbank or tīrtha platform offers a rounded piṇḍa with folded hands, mentally invoking paternal and maternal ancestors; faint ancestral silhouettes receive the offering in a calm, twilight atmosphere.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral duty embraces both paternal and maternal lines, extending even to forgotten or unknown branches.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The mantra is given in the Dharmāraṇya/Lohayiṣṭakā ritual context implied by the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A piṇḍa offering dedicated inclusively to deceased ancestors of both lines, including those of past/unknown gotras.