Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा पिण्डोदकं तत्र पिण्डाणां च तथाक्षयम् । यस्तत्र कुरुते श्राद्धं तोयं पिबति नित्यशः । मुच्यते सर्वपापैस्तु उरगः कञ्चुकैरिव । अनिन्द्यान्पूजयेद्विप्रान् दम्भक्रोधविवर्जितान्

Transliteration

dattvā piṇḍodakaṃ tatra piṇḍāṇāṃ ca tathākṣayam | yastatra kurute śrāddhaṃ toyaṃ pibati nityaśaḥ | mucyate sarvapāpaistu uragaḥ kañcukairiva | anindyānpūjayedviprān dambhakrodhavivarjitān

Translation

Совершив там подношение пинда и водные возлияния—даруя тем самым неистощимую заслугу поминальным приношениям предкам,—кто в том месте совершает шраддху и постоянно пьёт его воду, тот освобождается от всех грехов, как змея, сбрасывающая старую кожу. Следует почитать безупречных брахманов, свободных от лицемерия и гнева.

Word by Word

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dā (धा॒तु)
• Form: Kṛdanta (absolutive/त्वान्त), from √dā; Avyaya-kṛdanta; ‘having given’

• piṇḍa-udakam: water-offering for the piṇḍa (funeral oblation)
• piṇḍa-udakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध): ‘piṇḍasya udakam’

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśādhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of place

• piṇḍāṇām: of the piṇḍas
• piṇḍāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• akṣayam: imperishable (merit)
• akṣayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; used adjectivally

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśādhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of place

• kurute: does, performs
• kurute: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धा॒तु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada; Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Singular

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• toyam: water
• toyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• pibati: drinks
• pibati: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धा॒तु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Parasmaipada; Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Singular

• nityaśaḥ: always, regularly
• nityaśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nityaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of frequency

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धा॒तु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada; Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Singular; passive sense ‘is released’

• sarva-pāpaiḥ: from all sins
• sarva-pāpaiḥ: Apādāna (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Plural; कर्मधारय-समास: ‘sarvāṇi pāpāni’

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (emphasis/contrast)

• uragaḥ: a snake
• uragaḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uraga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• kañcukaiḥ: by (its) sloughs/skins
• kañcukaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kañcuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (Comparative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle of comparison

• anindyān: blameless
• anindyān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anindya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; used adjectivally

• pūjayet: should worship/honor
• pūjayet: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धा॒तु)
• Form: Liṅ-lakāra (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada; Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Singular

• viprān: brāhmaṇas
• viprān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• dambha-krodha-vivarjitān: devoid of hypocrisy and anger
• dambha-krodha-vivarjitān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dambha (प्रातिपदिक) + krodha (प्रातिपदिक) + vivarjita (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; तत्पुरुष-समास (instrumental/ablative sense): ‘dambha-krodhābhyāṃ vivarjitāḥ’ = devoid of hypocrisy and anger

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kambalakṣetra (Revā-khaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a riverbank tirtha offers piṇḍas and water-libations to ancestors; nearby, calm brāhmaṇas sit for honoring; a serpent in the foreground sheds its skin as a metaphor of sin-fall.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Piṇḍodaka
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites performed at a sanctified tīrtha, joined with ethical conduct and reverence for worthy brāhmaṇas, lead to deep purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the unnamed tīrtha under discussion in Adhyāya 44 of Revā Khaṇḍa, emphasizing its water and śrāddha efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer piṇḍa and water-libations, perform śrāddha there, drink the tīrtha water regularly, and honor blameless brāhmaṇas free from hypocrisy and anger.