Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

पितामहं समासाद्य गयायां यैः पितामहाः । तर्पिता ब्राह्मणमुखे तेषामेते पितामहाः

Transliteration

pitāmahaṃ samāsādya gayāyāṃ yaiḥ pitāmahāḥ | tarpitā brāhmaṇamukhe teṣāmete pitāmahāḥ

Translation

கயையை அடைந்து, பிராமணர் வாயிலாகத் தர்ப்பணம் செய்து பித்ருக்களைத் திருப்திப்படுத்தியவர்களுக்கு, அவர்களுடைய பிதாமகர்களே உயர்வு பெறுவர்.

Word by Word

• पितामहम्: the grandfather/ancestor
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having approached/attained’

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (relative)

• पितामहाः: ancestors (grandfathers)
• पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• तर्पिताः: were satisfied/propitiated
• तर्पिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्/तर्पय् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; past passive participle ‘satiated/propitiated’

• ब्राह्मणमुखे: in/at the mouth of a brāhmaṇa (i.e., through brāhmaṇas)
• ब्राह्मणमुखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—ब्राह्मणस्य मुखम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; deictic pronoun

• पितामहाः: ancestors
• पितामहाः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Gayā near the riverbank, a householder offers water with sesame (tila) and food to Brāhmaṇas; behind them, translucent ancestral figures rise upward, signifying satisfaction and uplift.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Brāhmaṇas
• Pitṛs (forefathers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving Brāhmaṇas as a conduit for ancestral rites is affirmed as an effective way to satisfy and uplift one’s Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is presented as a premier tīrtha for Pitṛ-kārya such as tarpaṇa and śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa/propitiation of ancestors, performed via offerings and feeding given to Brāhmaṇas.