Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

पिण्डदानेन चैकेन विधियुक्तेन भारत । द्वादशाब्दानि तुष्यन्ति पितरो नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

piṇḍadānena caikena vidhiyuktena bhārata | dvādaśābdāni tuṣyanti pitaro nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

اے بھارت! شاستری ودھی کے مطابق ایک ہی پِنڈ دان سے پِتر بارہ برس تک راضی رہتے ہیں—اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔

Word by Word

• पिण्डदानेन: by the offering of a piṇḍa (rice-ball)
• पिण्डदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (piṇḍasya dānena); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instr sg)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• एकेन: with one (single)
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन (instr sg)

• विधियुक्तेन: performed according to rule
• विधियुक्तेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (vidhinā yuktena = accompanied by proper rite); पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन (instr sg)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (voc sg)

• द्वादशाब्दानि: twelve years
• द्वादशाब्दानि: Karma (Extent/परिमाण-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (dvādaśa-abdāni = twelve years); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (nom/acc pl)

• तुष्यन्ति: become satisfied
• तुष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd pl): are satisfied

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom pl)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom sg)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (contextually Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya addressing the King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Skanda-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed; likely the king in Bharata lineage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist prepares rice-balls (piṇḍas) on darbha grass near the river, offering them with mantras; an unseen ancestral realm receives satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Bhārata (address to the listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A correctly performed rite (vidhi) magnifies merit; even a single proper offering can yield long-lasting ancestral blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context continues the praise of Skanda-tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing one vidhi-compliant piṇḍa-dāna (piṇḍa offering) for the Pitṛs.