Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

विष्णुस्तु पितृरूपेण ब्रह्मरूपी पितामहः । प्रपितामहो रुद्रोऽभूदेवं त्रिपुरुषाः स्थिताः

Transliteration

viṣṇustu pitṛrūpeṇa brahmarūpī pitāmahaḥ | prapitāmaho rudro'bhūdevaṃ tripuruṣāḥ sthitāḥ

Translation

วิษณุทรงสถิตในรูปแห่งบิดา; พรหมาในรูปแห่งปิตามหะคือปู่; และรุทระทรงเป็นประปิตามหะคือทวด—ดังนี้บุรุษสามแห่งบรรพชนจึงตั้งมั่นอยู่

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed, and
• तु: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (particle: but/indeed)

• पितृरूपेण: in the form of the father (ancestor)
• पितृरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + रूप (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां रूपम्)

• ब्रह्मरूपी: having the form of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मरूपः)

• पितामहः: grandfather
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रपितामहः: great-grandfather
• प्रपितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अभूत्: became, was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Imperfective past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha/Avyaya (Modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• त्रिपुरुषाः: the three persons
• त्रिपुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः पुरुषाः)

• स्थिताः: stood, were established
• स्थिताः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘having stood/being situated’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: three luminous forms behind the ritual—Viṣṇu as ‘pitṛ’, Brahmā as ‘pitāmaha’, Rudra as ‘prapitāmaha’; in front, a devotee offers tarpaṇa, with the three presences subtly receiving it.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites are linked to cosmic divinity: the lineage of pitṛs is contemplated through Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Śūlabheda-tīrtha context of the Revā Khaṇḍa, framing the tīrtha as a place of pitṛ-satisfaction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A doctrinal prescription for śrāddha contemplation—recognizing divine forms within father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.