Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तिलपिण्डप्रदानेन श्राद्धे नृपतिसत्तम । विकर्मस्थाश्च गच्छन्ति गतिमिष्टां हि पूर्वजाः

Transliteration

tilapiṇḍapradānena śrāddhe nṛpatisattama | vikarmasthāśca gacchanti gatimiṣṭāṃ hi pūrvajāḥ

Translation

โอ้มหาราชผู้ประเสริฐ ด้วยการถวายปิณฑะงาในพิธีศราทธะ แม้บรรพชนที่ตกอยู่ในภาวะไม่สมควรเพราะวิกรรม ก็ย่อมได้ไปสู่คติอันพึงปรารถนาและเป็นมงคลโดยแท้

Word by Word

• तिलपिण्डप्रदानेन: by the offering of sesame-balls
• तिलपिण्डप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (तिल-पिण्डस्य प्रदानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्; करण/हेतु

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् (occasion)

• नृपतिसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपतिसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधनम्; पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (नृपतीनां सत्तमः)

• विकर्मस्थाः: those situated in wrongful acts
• विकर्मस्थाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (विकर्मणि स्थाः = engaged in improper acts); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘पूर्वजाः’ इति विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• गच्छन्ति: go/attain
• गच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल/Present); प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• गतिम्: a state/destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• इष्टाम्: desired
• इष्टाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; इष् धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-विशेषणम्; स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘गतिम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्ययम् (emphasis/indeed)

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors/forefathers
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tilādeśvara-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpati-sattama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly patron performs śrāddha near the river; sesame piṇḍas are offered with kuśa grass and water; subtle ancestral figures receive the offering and rise toward an auspicious path.

Characters & Entities

• Pūrvajas (ancestors)
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate ancestral rites, when performed correctly, can remedy difficult posthumous conditions and guide forebears toward auspicious destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Tilādeśvara tīrtha-māhātmya context on the Revā (Narmadā), where such śrāddha offerings are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha with tila-piṇḍa-pradāna (offering sesame piṇḍas) for the benefit of ancestors.