Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यदाज्ञापालनं पुत्रः पितॄणां सर्वदा चरेत् । अथोर्द्ध्वलोकान्स जयेदिह जायेत कीर्तिमान्

Transliteration

yadājñāpālanaṃ putraḥ pitṝṇāṃ sarvadā caret | athorddhvalokānsa jayediha jāyeta kīrtimān

Translation

جب بیٹا ہمیشہ اپنے پِتروں کے احکام کی پیروی اور تکمیل کرتا ہے تو وہ اُونچے لوکوں کو فتح کرتا ہے، اور اس دنیا میں بھی نام و کیرتی والا رہتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• yad: if/when
• yad: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्ययम् (relative particle), अर्थे 'यदि/यत्'

• ājñā-pālanam: obedience; पालन of command
• ājñā-pālanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक) + pālana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Nom./Acc. sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ājñāyāḥ pālanam)

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.)

• pitṝṇām: of the fathers/ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Gen. pl.)

• sarvadā: always
• sarvadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• caret: should practice/should perform
• caret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्ययम् (then/thereupon)

• ūrdhva-lokān: the higher worlds
• ūrdhva-lokān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Acc. pl.); कर्मधारयः (ūrdhvāḥ lokāḥ)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.)

• jayet: should conquer/attain
• jayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• iha: here (in this world)
• iha: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• jāyeta: would be born/become
• jāyeta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• kīrtimān: famous; possessing renown
• kīrtimān: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kīrtimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.); विशेषणम्

Speaker

Haidambi (continuing his statement about Pitṛ-bhakti)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Sūta frame; not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dutiful son stands with folded hands before unseen Pitṛs/elders; above, luminous higher worlds open like ascending tiers; below, townsfolk honor him for his fame.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (Ancestors)
• Son (Putra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring ancestral guidance is portrayed as a path to both worldly reputation and heavenly attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a general dharma teaching about Pitṛ-obedience.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is described; it emphasizes ongoing conduct—ājñāpālana (obedient practice).