Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

या वै यवानां कणिकाः पतंति धरणीतले । ताभिराप्यायनं तेषां ये तु देवत्वमागताः

Transliteration

yā vai yavānāṃ kaṇikāḥ pataṃti dharaṇītale | tābhirāpyāyanaṃ teṣāṃ ye tu devatvamāgatāḥ

Translation

และเมล็ดข้าวบาร์เลย์ (ยวะ) ใด ๆ ที่ตกลงบนผืนแผ่นดิน—ด้วยเมล็ดเหล่านั้น บรรพชนผู้บรรลุภาวะแห่งเทวะย่อมได้รับการหล่อเลี้ยงและเพิ่มพูนกำลัง.

Word by Word

• याः: which (those)
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• यवानाम्: of barley grains
• यवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• कणिकाः: small particles, grains
• कणिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कणिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• धरणी-तले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणी-तले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी + तल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (धरण्याः तलम्)

• ताभिः: by those (particles)
• ताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• आप्यायनम्: nourishment, satiation
• आप्यायनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ + प्यै (धातु) + ल्युट् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्रियानाम (nomen actionis)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-अव्ययम्

• देवत्वम्: godhood, divine state
• देवत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाव-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आगताः: having attained
• आगताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्तः, पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Unspecified (continuation of offering-merit explanations)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmakūpa (contextual)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: During śrāddha, barley grains scatter onto the ground; in a symbolic celestial overlay, radiant pitṛs in deva-like form receive strengthening.

Characters & Entities

• Yava (barley)
• Devatva (divine state)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings are never ‘wasted’ in a sacred context; even small remnants are framed as spiritually efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing context is the Dharmāraṇya/Dharmakūpa ritual sphere, though the verse itself highlights the offering substance (yava).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Barley grains associated with rites— even those that fall to the ground—are said to provide invigoration to ancestors in divine states.