Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

यदिदं तर्पणंनाम पितॄणां क्रियते नृभिः । जलमध्ये जलं याति कथं तृप्यंति पूर्वजाः

Transliteration

yadidaṃ tarpaṇaṃnāma pitṝṇāṃ kriyate nṛbhiḥ | jalamadhye jalaṃ yāti kathaṃ tṛpyaṃti pūrvajāḥ

Translation

மனிதர்கள் பித்ருக்களுக்காக ‘தர்ப்பணம்’ செய்கிறார்கள்; ஆனால் அந்த நீர் நீரிலேயே கலந்து விடுகிறது—அப்படியிருக்க முன்னோர்கள் எவ்வாறு திருப்தியடைகிறார்கள்?

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (correlative)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तर्पणम्: tarpaṇa (libation/oblation)
• तर्पणम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: called
• नाम: विशेषण-निपात (Appositive marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय/निपात (particle meaning ‘called/indeed’)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• नृभिः: by men
• नृभिः: करण/कर्तृ (Agent in passive; instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• जल-मध्ये: in the water
• जल-मध्ये: अधिकरण (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य मध्ये)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तृप्यन्ति: become satisfied
• तृप्यन्ति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पूर्वजाः: forefathers/ancestors
• पूर्वजाः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified questioner (listener in the dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A thoughtful king questions: water offered into water seems to disappear—by what principle do ancestors become satisfied? The scene is a calm doctrinal moment, with the shrine as backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It raises a dharmic doubt about ritual efficacy, prompting a deeper explanation of subtle (non-gross) reception by Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on the principle behind Pitṛ-tarpaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa—offering water as a libation to the Pitṛs.