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
凡抵达伽耶（Gayā），并借婆罗门之口奉献塔尔帕那（tarpaṇa）以令祖先满足者——这些祖先便为他们而得以超升。
Word by Word
पितामहम्the grandfather/ancestor
पितामहम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular
समासाद्यhaving approached
समासाद्य:
Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having approached/attained’
गयायाम्in Gayā
गयायाम्:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootगया (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular
यैःby whom
यैः:
Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (relative)
पितामहाःancestors (grandfathers)
पितामहाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural
तर्पिताःwere satisfied/propitiated
तर्पिताः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootतृप्/तर्पय् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; past passive participle ‘satiated/propitiated’
ब्राह्मणमुखेin/at the mouth of a brāhmaṇa (i.e., through brāhmaṇas)
ब्राह्मणमुखे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—ब्राह्मणस्य मुखम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
Sambandha (Possession/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural
एतेthese
एते:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; deictic pronoun
पितामहाःancestors
पितामहाः:
Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, 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
G
GayāB
BrāhmaṇasP
Pitṛs (forefathers)FAQs
Serving Brāhmaṇas as a conduit for ancestral rites is affirmed as an effective way to satisfy and uplift one’s Pitṛs.
Gayā is presented as a premier tīrtha for Pitṛ-kārya such as tarpaṇa and śrāddha.
Tarpaṇa/propitiation of ancestors, performed via offerings and feeding given to Brāhmaṇas.