Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

इत्यर्घ्यमन्त्रः । स्नानं कृत्वा विधानेन पितॄन्संतर्प्पयेन्नरः । श्राद्धं कुर्य्याद्विधानेन श्रद्भया परया युतः

Transliteration

ityarghyamantraḥ | snānaṃ kṛtvā vidhānena pitṝnsaṃtarppayennaraḥ | śrāddhaṃ kuryyādvidhānena śradbhayā parayā yutaḥ

Translation

至此，阿尔伽供水真言已毕。依仪轨沐浴之后，行者当以供献作“塔尔帕那”以慰悦诸祖灵（Pitṛ）；并应以至上信心，依正法如仪修行施祖祭（śrāddha）。

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; quotative particle ‘thus’

• अर्घ्यमन्त्रः: the arghya-mantra
• अर्घ्यमन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्यमन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) = अर्घ्य + मन्त्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular ‘the arghya-mantra’

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular ‘bathing’ (object of कृत्वा)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त); gerund ‘having done’

• विधानेन: according to the prescribed method
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental ‘according to rule/with proper procedure’

• पितॄन्: ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; accusative plural ‘the ancestors’

• संतर्पयेत्: should satisfy
• संतर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-तृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should satisfy/propitiate’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular ‘a man’

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular ‘śrāddha rite’

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should perform’

• विधानेन: according to the prescribed method
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental ‘according to rule’

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental ‘with faith’

• परया: great/supreme
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; adjective ‘supreme/great’ qualifying श्रद्धया

• युतः: endowed (with)
• युतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; PPP ‘endowed/associated (with)’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti), narrating ritual sequence

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada (Pañcanadī)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After completing snāna, the pilgrim sits on kuśa grass facing south, offering tarpaṇa to pitṛs; a śrāddha setup with piṇḍa, water, sesame, and a brāhmaṇa recipient is shown, suffused with solemn faith.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Śrāddha
• Snāna
• Arghya-mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by gratitude: purification is joined to ancestral duty through tarpaṇa and śrāddha performed with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rites are framed for Pañcanada Tīrtha in the Dvārakā Māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After prescribed bathing, perform pitṛ-tarpaṇa and then śrāddha according to rule, with sincere faith.