Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यदाज्ञापालनं पुत्रः पितॄणां सर्वदा चरेत् । अथोर्द्ध्वलोकान्स जयेदिह जायेत कीर्तिमान्

Transliteration

yadājñāpālanaṃ putraḥ pitṝṇāṃ sarvadā caret | athorddhvalokānsa jayediha jāyeta kīrtimān

Translation

เมื่อบุตรประพฤติตามและสนองพระบัญชาของบรรพชน (ปิตฤ) อยู่เสมอ เขาย่อมชนะโลกเบื้องสูง และในโลกนี้ก็เป็นผู้มีเกียรติยศเลื่องลือ

Word by Word

• yad: if/when
• yad: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्ययम् (relative particle), अर्थे 'यदि/यत्'

• ājñā-pālanam: obedience; पालन of command
• ājñā-pālanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक) + pālana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Nom./Acc. sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ājñāyāḥ pālanam)

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.)

• pitṝṇām: of the fathers/ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Gen. pl.)

• sarvadā: always
• sarvadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• caret: should practice/should perform
• caret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्ययम् (then/thereupon)

• ūrdhva-lokān: the higher worlds
• ūrdhva-lokān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Acc. pl.); कर्मधारयः (ūrdhvāḥ lokāḥ)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.)

• jayet: should conquer/attain
• jayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• iha: here (in this world)
• iha: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• jāyeta: would be born/become
• jāyeta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• kīrtimān: famous; possessing renown
• kīrtimān: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kīrtimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.); विशेषणम्

Speaker

Haidambi (continuing his statement about Pitṛ-bhakti)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Sūta frame; not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dutiful son stands with folded hands before unseen Pitṛs/elders; above, luminous higher worlds open like ascending tiers; below, townsfolk honor him for his fame.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (Ancestors)
• Son (Putra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring ancestral guidance is portrayed as a path to both worldly reputation and heavenly attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a general dharma teaching about Pitṛ-obedience.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is described; it emphasizes ongoing conduct—ājñāpālana (obedient practice).