Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तर्पणैः कन्यकानां च होमः स्यात्स फलप्रदः

Transliteration

tarpaṇaiḥ kanyakānāṃ ca homaḥ syātsa phalapradaḥ

Translation

कन्यकानां तर्पणैश्च होमश्च स्यात् स फलप्रदः। इष्टं पुण्यफलं दत्त्वा सिद्धिं जनयति ध्रुवम्॥

Word by Word

• tarpaṇaiḥ: by libations/offerings (tarpana)
• tarpaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tarpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), तृतीया (Instr. 3), बहुवचन (pl)

• kanyakānām: of maidens
• kanyakānām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f), षष्ठी (Gen. 6), बहुवचन (pl)

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

• homaḥ: homa
• homaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg)

• syāt: would be/should be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg)

• saḥ: that (homa)
• saḥ: Anuvartaka (Correlative/अनुवर्तक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg)

• phalapradaḥ: fruit-bestowing
• phalapradaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg); उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘fruit-giving’

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative instruction within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene where water-libations are offered with cupped hands (tarpaṇa) near a tīrtha, followed by homa; nearby, maidens are respectfully honored (not objectified), symbolizing the rite’s beneficiary focus.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts done with correct intention and dharmic focus become genuinely result-bestowing (phalaprada).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting, where local pīṭhas/tīrthas are praised; the specific site is clarified in adjacent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa (libations) and homa (fire-offering), here connected with benefiting/propitiating kanyās.