Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पितरस्तस्य तृप्यन्ति द्वादशाब्दानि पञ्च च । अक्षतैर्बदरैर्बिल्वैर्गुदमधुसर्पिषा

Transliteration

pitarastasya tṛpyanti dvādaśābdāni pañca ca | akṣatairbadarairbilvairgudamadhusarpiṣā

Translation

เมื่อถวายด้วยข้าวสารไม่แตกหัก ผลพุทรา ผลมะตูมศักดิ์สิทธิ์ (บิลวะ) น้ำตาลอ้อยก้อน น้ำผึ้ง และเนยใส บรรพชนของเขาย่อมอิ่มเอิบพอใจตลอดสิบสองปี และเพิ่มอีกห้าปี

Word by Word

• पितरः: the ancestors (manes)
• पितरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तृप्यन्ति: are satisfied
• तृप्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अब्दानि: years
• अब्दानि: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण/time extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अक्षतैः: with unbroken rice grains
• अक्षतैः: Karana (करण/instrument, means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बदरैः: with jujube fruits
• बदरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बिल्वैः: with bilva fruits
• बिल्वैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गुड-मधु-सर्पिषा: with jaggery, honey, and ghee
• गुड-मधु-सर्पिषा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुड (प्रातिपदिक) + मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva/Śaṅkara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee on a riverbank performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa, offering akṣata and fruits with a small ladle, with bilva leaves and bowls of jaggery, honey, and ghee arranged on a leaf-plate; the Revā river flows serenely behind.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper tīrtha-śrāddha offerings yield enduring ancestral contentment, illustrating the long-reaching power of dharmic rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha-rite sequence; the immediate verse emphasizes fruit (phala) rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use specified substances—akṣata, badara, bilva, jaggery, honey, and ghee—linked to extended satisfaction of the pitṛs.