Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 150

Devanagari script

योऽत्र स्नानविधिं कृत्वा तीर्थेऽत्र पितृतर्पणम् । आजन्म पितरस्तेन प्रभविष्यंति तर्पिताः

Transliteration

yo'tra snānavidhiṃ kṛtvā tīrthe'tra pitṛtarpaṇam | ājanma pitarastena prabhaviṣyaṃti tarpitāḥ

Translation

ผู้ใดประกอบพิธีอาบน้ำตามวิธี ณ ที่นี้ และทำพิธีตัรปณะบูชาบรรพชน ณ ตีรถะแห่งนี้ ด้วยกรรมนั้น บรรพชนของเขาจักได้รับความอิ่มเอมสันติ สืบไปทุกชาติทุกภพ

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधकः (यः…सः)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• स्नानविधिम्: the bathing rite/procedure
• स्नानविधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: स्नानस्य विधिः), पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund): पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• तीर्थे: at the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• पितृतर्पणम्: offering of satisfaction to the ancestors
• पितृतर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: पितॄणां तर्पणम्), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आजन्म: for life / until death
• आजन्म: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-जन्मन् (अव्ययीभाव-समास/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (up to/throughout life)

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• तेन: by him / through that (act)
• तेन: Karta (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; साधन/कर्तृ-संबन्धे

• प्रभविष्यन्ति: will prosper / will thrive
• प्रभविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (भविष्यत्कालः), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• तर्पिताः: satisfied, gratified
• तर्पिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्/तर्प् (धातु) → तर्पित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (पितरः)

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: narrator/teacher describing the tīrtha’s fruits)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bālamaṇḍanaka-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: sad-dvija and assembled viprendras

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim completes snāna at the ford, then stands facing the water offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; nearby are darbha grass, a kamaṇḍalu, and a small liṅga-shrine in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna joined with pitṛtarpaṇa is upheld as a powerful dharmic act that supports and satisfies one’s ancestral line.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Bālamaṇḍanaka tīrtha (the ‘here’ of the chapter’s setting).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snānavidhi (proper ritual bathing) and pitṛtarpaṇa (libations to ancestors) at the tīrtha.