Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमातिरात्रादिफलमाप्नोत्यनुत्तमम् । त्रिरात्रमुषितस्तस्मिंस्तर्पयन्पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

agniṣṭomātirātrādiphalamāpnotyanuttamam | trirātramuṣitastasmiṃstarpayanpitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

ย่อมได้ผลอันยอดยิ่งแห่งยัญพิธี เช่น อัคนิษโฏมะ และ อติราตระ เมื่อพำนักอยู่ที่นั่นสามราตรี แล้วถวายตัรปณะบูชาต่อปิตฤและเทวะทั้งหลาย (ย่อมบรรลุบุญนั้น)

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोम: Agniṣṭoma (sacrifice)
• अग्निष्टोम: Upapada (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (यागविशेष-नाम)

• अतिरात्र: Atirātra (sacrifice)
• अतिरात्र: Upapada (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिरात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (यागविशेष-नाम)

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘आदि’ = ‘and others’ (etc.)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: obtains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘फलम्’)

• त्रिरात्रम्: three nights (a period of three nights)
• त्रिरात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि रात्राणि)

• उषितः: having stayed
• उषितः: Kriya (Participial/कृदन्त-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु) → उषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘(सः) उषितः’ = ‘having stayed’

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तर्पयन्: satisfying, offering libations to
• तर्पयन्: Kriya (Participial/कृदन्त-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु) → तर्पयत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; causative sense (तर्पयति)

• पितृदेवताः: the Pitṛ-deities (ancestral deities)
• पितृदेवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां देवताः / पितृदेवताः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nala-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim camp near the tirtha for three nights; at twilight/dawn he offers tarpaṇa—water streams from cupped hands—invoking pitṛs and devas; sacrificial imagery is subtly echoed (fire altars in memory, not present).

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma
• Atirātra
• Pitṛs
• Devatās
• Nala-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage joined with disciplined observance (staying, worship, and tarpaṇa) is portrayed as equal to great Vedic rites in fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context continues the praise of Nala-tīrtha within Setu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A three-night observance (trirātra-vāsa) and tarpaṇa offerings to pitṛs and devatās.