Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अत्र स्नात्वा नरो भक्त्या तर्पयिष्यति यः पितॄन् । त्रिपुष्करसमं पुण्यं लप्स्यते स तथेप्सितम्

Transliteration

atra snātvā naro bhaktyā tarpayiṣyati yaḥ pitṝn | tripuṣkarasamaṃ puṇyaṃ lapsyate sa tathepsitam

Translation

ผู้ใดอาบน้ำ ณ ที่นี้ด้วยศรัทธาภักดี และถวาย “ตัรปณะ” แด่ปิตฤทั้งหลาย ผู้นั้นจักได้บุญเสมอการสรงน้ำ ณ ปุษกรสามแห่ง และยังได้ผลอันปรารถนา

Word by Word

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśavyaya (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), Avyaya-prayoga

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Manner/instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• tarpayiṣyati: will satisfy/offer oblations to
• tarpayiṣyati: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्, periphrastic future), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (एकवचन); parasmaipada; causative sense (णिच्) ‘to cause to be satisfied’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• pitṝn: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• pitṝn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• tripuṣkarasamam: equal to Tripuṣkara
• tripuṣkarasamam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa ‘tripuṣkarasya samam’ = ‘equal to Tripuṣkara’

• puṇyam: merit, holy fruit
• puṇyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• lapsyate: will obtain
• lapsyate: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्, periphrastic future), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (एकवचन); ātmanepada

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• tathā: thus, accordingly
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta/Adverb (अव्यय), manner ‘thus/so’

• ipsitam: the desired (boon/result)
• ipsitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īpsita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); kta from √āp/īps (to desire/seek) used as noun ‘desired (thing)’

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkarāvartakā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands waist-deep in the river at the whirlpool-ghāṭa, offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; subtle ancestral figures receive the offering in a luminous, peaceful aura.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkarāvartakā (river)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Tri-Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional action at a sanctified place transforms simple rites—bathing and tarpaṇa—into great merit and fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkarāvartakā-nadī, whose bath and ancestral offerings are praised as exceptionally meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) followed by Pitṛ-tarpaṇa (libations/offerings to ancestors) performed with bhakti.