Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तुदक्षयं फलं तत्र सुकृतं दुष्कृतं तथा । गयाशिरो यथा पुण्यं पितृकार्येषु सर्वदा

Transliteration

tudakṣayaṃ phalaṃ tatra sukṛtaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ tathā | gayāśiro yathā puṇyaṃ pitṛkāryeṣu sarvadā

Translation

Dort ist die Frucht der Riten unvergänglich—sei sie aus guten Taten erwachsen oder zur Sühne böser Taten. Wie Gayāśiras stets verdienstvoll für Ahnenriten ist, so ist es auch dieser Ort.

Word by Word

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/and)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; फलम् इति विशेषण

• फलम्: the fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• सुकृतम्: merit (good deed)
• सुकृतम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सु कृतम् (good deed/merit)

• दुष्कृतम्: demerit (bad deed)
• दुष्कृतम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुस् + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—दुष्टं कृतम् (bad deed/demerit)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• गया-शिरः: Gayāśiras (the ‘head’/chief place of Gayā)
• गया-शिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गयायाः शिरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• पुण्यम्: merit/holy (result)
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पितृ-कार्येषु: in ancestral rites
• पितृ-कार्येषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—पितॄणां कार्याणि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: always)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda (compared to Gayāśiras)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic juxtaposition: Gayāśiras as a revered hill/seat of pitṛ-rites on one side, Śūlabheda on the other, linked by a radiant thread labeled ‘akṣaya-phala’; pilgrims perform tarpaṇa while a trident emblem hints at Śūlabheda’s name.

Characters & Entities

• Gayāśiras
• Pitṛkārya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A great tīrtha can confer lasting merit and aid purification, especially when used for Pitṛ-related dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s tīrtha (Śūlabheda) is praised by comparison with Gayāśiras, famed for ancestral rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛkārya (ancestral rites) performed at such a place is said to yield enduring (akṣaya) merit.