Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

पितामहं समासाद्य गयायां यैः पितामहाः । तर्पिता ब्राह्मणमुखे तेषामेते पितामहाः

Transliteration

pitāmahaṃ samāsādya gayāyāṃ yaiḥ pitāmahāḥ | tarpitā brāhmaṇamukhe teṣāmete pitāmahāḥ

Translation

Yaong nakarating sa Gayā at pinasiyahan ang kanilang mga ninuno sa pamamagitan ng tarpaṇa na inihandog sa bibig ng mga Brāhmaṇa—ang mismong mga ninunong iyon ay naiaangat para sa kanila.

Word by Word

• पितामहम्: the grandfather/ancestor
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having approached/attained’

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (relative)

• पितामहाः: ancestors (grandfathers)
• पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• तर्पिताः: were satisfied/propitiated
• तर्पिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्/तर्पय् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; past passive participle ‘satiated/propitiated’

• ब्राह्मणमुखे: in/at the mouth of a brāhmaṇa (i.e., through brāhmaṇas)
• ब्राह्मणमुखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—ब्राह्मणस्य मुखम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; deictic pronoun

• पितामहाः: ancestors
• पितामहाः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Gayā near the riverbank, a householder offers water with sesame (tila) and food to Brāhmaṇas; behind them, translucent ancestral figures rise upward, signifying satisfaction and uplift.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Brāhmaṇas
• Pitṛs (forefathers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving Brāhmaṇas as a conduit for ancestral rites is affirmed as an effective way to satisfy and uplift one’s Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is presented as a premier tīrtha for Pitṛ-kārya such as tarpaṇa and śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa/propitiation of ancestors, performed via offerings and feeding given to Brāhmaṇas.