Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पिण्डोदकप्रदानेन वाजपेयफलं लभेत् । पितरः पितामहाश्च नृत्यन्ते च प्रहर्षिताः

Transliteration

piṇḍodakapradānena vājapeyaphalaṃ labhet | pitaraḥ pitāmahāśca nṛtyante ca praharṣitāḥ

Translation

பிண்டமும் தர்ப்பண நீரும் அர்ப்பணிப்பதால் வாஜபேய யாகத்தின் பலன் கிடைக்கும். பித்ருக்களும் பிதாமகரும் மகிழ்ந்து பேரானந்தத்தில் நடனம் செய்கின்றனர்।

Word by Word

• piṇḍa-udaka-pradānena: by the offering of rice-balls and water (to ancestors)
• piṇḍa-udaka-pradānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक) + pradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; करणार्थे (by means of offering)

• vājapeya-phalam: the fruit of the Vājapeya (sacrifice)
• vājapeya-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vājapeya (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• labhet: would obtain / should obtain
• labhet: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• pitaraḥ: the fathers/ancestors
• pitaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• pitāmahāḥ: the grandfathers/forefathers
• pitāmahāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• nṛtyante: dance
• nṛtyante: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• praharṣitāḥ: delighted, overjoyed
• praharṣitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praharṣita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √hṛṣ/हृष् "हर्ष"; past passive participle with प्र-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (pitaraḥ pitāmahāḥ इति)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāṇḍutīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: O King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a river ghat, a devotee offers rice-balls (piṇḍa) and pours water with sesame; in a subtle upper register, ancestors and grand-ancestors appear radiant, dancing in joy.

Characters & Entities

• piṇḍa
• udaka
• Vājapeya
• pitaraḥ (ancestors)
• pitāmahāḥ (grandfathers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to ancestors through prescribed offerings is exalted as producing immense merit, comparable to major Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the tīrtha-context of Adhyāya 116, centered on Pāṇḍutīrtha and its rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa offerings and udaka (water oblations), i.e., pitṛ-tarpaṇa/śrāddha-style rites for ancestors.