Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणात्तेन रुधिरेण महात्मना । पितरस्तर्पिता सम्यक्तिलमिश्रेण भक्तितः

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇāttena rudhireṇa mahātmanā | pitarastarpitā samyaktilamiśreṇa bhaktitaḥ

Translation

Vì lẽ ấy, bậc đại nhân đã làm cho các Pitṛ được thỏa mãn bằng chính máu ấy—đúng nghi thức và với lòng sùng kính—lại hòa trộn cùng hạt mè (tila).

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कारणात्: from the cause/reason
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• रुधिरेण: with blood
• रुधिरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पितरः: the ancestors (Pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तर्पिताः: were satisfied/propitiated
• तर्पिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तर्पित (तृप् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण/विधेय (predicate)

• सम्यक्: properly, duly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तिलमिश्रेण: with (an offering) mixed with sesame
• तिलमिश्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिल + मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तृतीया-करणे (instrumental of means)

• भक्तितः: out of devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (in the sense of cause)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn ancestral rite: a great ascetic offers tarpaṇa, sesame seeds floating on a dark libation, with pitṛs envisioned receiving satisfaction in the subtle realm.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Tila (sesame)
• Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames the event as an exceptional, story-bound act explained by cause and vow, while still emphasizing devotion and ritual form (tila).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmahrada is the tīrtha whose legend includes this extraordinary pitṛ-tarpaṇa episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions sesame (tila) as part of tarpaṇa; the broader section praises pitṛ-tarpaṇa at the tīrtha (notably on Bhādrapada Amāvāsyā).