Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

कुलानां तारयेद्विंशं दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् । गयादिपञ्चस्थानेषु यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः

Transliteration

kulānāṃ tārayedviṃśaṃ daśapūrvāndaśāparān | gayādipañcasthāneṣu yaḥ śrāddhaṃ kurute naraḥ

Translation

凡人在以伽耶（Gayā）为首的五处圣地行施罗陀（śrāddha）者，能度脱其族系二十代——前十代与后十代。

Word by Word

• कुलानाम्: of the families/lineages
• कुलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तारयेत्: would deliver/save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विंशम्: twenty (persons/generations)
• विंशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द (indeclinable-like numeral); संख्या-विशेषणार्थे

• पूर्वान्: former/preceding (ones)
• पूर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; संख्या-विशेषणार्थे

• अपरान्: later/following (ones)
• अपरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• गया-आदि-पञ्च-स्थानेषु: in the five places beginning with Gayā
• गया-आदि-पञ्च-स्थानेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—गयादयः (गया-आदि) येषु पञ्च स्थानानि (पञ्चस्थानेषु)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (ancestral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-sthāna beginning with Gayā (as benchmark)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performs śrāddha with piṇḍa and tila-tarpaṇa at a sacred riverbank/altar, with ancestral figures subtly depicted receiving offerings; the verse foregrounds the ‘twenty generations’ motif.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-dharma is portrayed as powerful: proper śrāddha at renowned tīrthas benefits both ancestors and descendants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is explicitly named, along with four other major śrāddha sites (pañca-sthānas) referenced collectively.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing śrāddha at the pañca-sthānas, especially at Gayā.