Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

देवखातेषु यः स्नात्वा तर्पयित्वा पितॄन्नृप । पूजयेद्देवदेवेशं पिङ्गलेश्वरमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

devakhāteṣu yaḥ snātvā tarpayitvā pitṝnnṛpa | pūjayeddevadeveśaṃ piṅgaleśvaramuttamam

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา ผู้ใดอาบน้ำ ณ เดวคาตะ แล้วทำตัรปณะบูชาบรรพชน (ปิตฤ) ให้พอใจ และบูชาพิงคเลศวรผู้ประเสริฐ ผู้เป็นเจ้าเหนือเทพทั้งปวง ผู้นั้นย่อมได้บุญใหญ่

Word by Word

• devakhāteṣu: in the Devakhāta pools
• devakhāteṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + khāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• tarpayitvā: having satisfied (offered libations)
• tarpayitvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (धातु) [णिच् causative: tarpay]
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) + क्त्वान्त (absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• pitṝn: the ancestors
• pitṝn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• devadeveśam: the Lord of gods
• devadeveśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (devānām deveśaḥ)

• piṅgaleśvaram: Piṅgaleśvara
• piṅgaleśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṅgala + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; नामधेय-समास (Piṅgaleśvara)

• uttamam: supreme/excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of piṅgaleśvaram/devadeveśam)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devakhāta

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly pilgrim completes a three-step rite at Devakhāta: (1) snāna in the kunda, (2) tarpaṇa to pitṛs with cupped hands facing the water, (3) worship at a nearby Śiva-liṅga shrine identified as Piṅgaleśvara, with lamps and bilva offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Devakhāta
• Pitṛs
• Piṅgaleśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is complete when it unites purity (snāna), gratitude to lineage (pitṛ-tarpaṇa), and devotion to Śiva (pūjā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devakhāta is the tīrtha, and Piṅgaleśvara is the praised Śaiva deity to be worshipped there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at Devakhāta, perform pitṛ-tarpaṇa, and worship Piṅgaleśvara (Śiva).