Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

गयायां भक्तिपूर्वं तु पितामहवचो यथा । ततः प्रयांति ते मोक्षं सत्यमेतदसंशयम्

Transliteration

gayāyāṃ bhaktipūrvaṃ tu pitāmahavaco yathā | tataḥ prayāṃti te mokṣaṃ satyametadasaṃśayam

Translation

ولكن إذا أُقيم ذلك في غايا (Gayā) بخشوعٍ وعبادة، وفق أمر بيتامها (براهما)، فإنهم يمضون إلى الموكشا، التحرّر. هذا حقّ لا ريب فيه.

Word by Word

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भक्तिपूर्वम्: with devotion; devoutly
• भक्तिपूर्वम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति-पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• पितामहवचः: the word of Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहवचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह-वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितामहस्य वचः)

• यथा: as; according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according to)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/from that)

• प्रयान्ति: they go; attain
• प्रयान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Pratijna/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेय-विशेषणवत्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial: without doubt)

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional Gayā tableau: pilgrims offering piṇḍas on the riverbank (Phalgu), priests guiding rites, the Viṣṇupada shrine in the background, and a subtle ascent motif of liberated ancestors.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion plus correct śāstric procedure at a revered tīrtha transforms ancestral rites into a direct cause of release and upliftment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is explicitly praised as the place where śrāddha, done with devotion, leads to mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the prescribed rite (śrāddha) at Gayā with bhakti, following Pitāmaha (Brahmā)’s injunction.