Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एकवर्षं तर्पणीयं धर्मवाप्यां नरोत्तमः । ऋतौ मासे च पक्षे च विपरीतं च जायते

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ekavarṣaṃ tarpaṇīyaṃ dharmavāpyāṃ narottamaḥ | ṛtau māse ca pakṣe ca viparītaṃ ca jāyate

Translation

Sinabi ni Sūta: “O pinakamainam sa mga tao, sa Dharmavāpī ang tarpaṇa ay dapat isagawa sa loob ng isang buong taon; at kahit may paglihis sa panahon, buwan, o kalahating-buwan, hindi nagiging salungat ang bisa ng ritwal.”

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकवर्षम्: for one year
• एकवर्षम्: Karma (Extent/measure object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (एकं वर्षं)

• तर्पणीयम्: should be performed as tarpaṇa / is to be offered
• तर्पणीयम्: Karma (Obligation/predicate to measure/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √तृप्/तर्प् (धातु) → तर्पणीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तव्यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थक कृदन्तः (gerundive: ‘to be offered/should be satisfied’)

• धर्मवाप्याम्: in the Dharma-pond
• धर्मवाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• नरोत्तमः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (उत्तमो नरः)

• ऋतौ: in the season
• ऋतौ: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• मासे: in the month
• मासे: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• विपरीतम्: the opposite (result)
• विपरीतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपरीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; भाववाचक प्रयोग (as ‘the opposite’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• जायते: arises/occurs
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmavāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naroत्तमः (addressed ‘O best of men’; broader audience implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta addresses an audience, instructing a disciplined year-long tarpaṇa practice at Dharmavāpī; a calendar wheel with seasons/months/fortnights appears, but the tīrtha’s radiance stabilizes it, symbolizing immunity to timing faults.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dharmavāpī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A powerful tīrtha can uphold the fruit of ancestral rites even when timing conventions are imperfect.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmavāpī, where tarpaṇa is recommended as an extended practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform tarpaṇa at Dharmavāpī for a year; irregularities in season/month/fortnight are said not to negate the rite.