Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

गोदानं तत्र कर्तव्यं वस्त्रदानं शुभावहम् । वसन्तस्य त्रयोदश्यां श्राद्धं तत्रैव कारयेत्

Transliteration

godānaṃ tatra kartavyaṃ vastradānaṃ śubhāvaham | vasantasya trayodaśyāṃ śrāddhaṃ tatraiva kārayet

Translation

Dort soll die Gabe einer Kuh dargebracht werden und die Gabe von Gewändern, die Heil und Glück verheißt. Am dreizehnten Tithi der Frühlingszeit lasse man dort selbst auch das Śrāddha vollziehen.

Word by Word

• गोदानम्: gift of a cow/cows
• गोदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go-dāna (प्रातिपदिक; गो + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘गवां दानम्’

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

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेयभावः—‘to be done/should be done’

• वस्त्रदानम्: gift of clothes
• वस्त्रदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra-dāna (प्रातिपदिक; वस्त्र + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘वस्त्राणां दानम्’

• शुभावहम्: bringing auspiciousness
• शुभावहम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha-āvaha (प्रातिपदिक; शुभ + आवह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वस्त्रदानम् इति); उपपद-तत्पुरुषभावः—‘शुभम् आवहति’

• वसन्तस्य: of spring (season)
• वसन्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasanta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth lunar day
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Kāla-Adhikarana (Time-location/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayodaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/काल), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• कारयेत्: should have (it) performed
• कारयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandeśvara

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Narmadā ghāṭ shrine, a devotee offers a cow in donation, distributes garments, and conducts śrāddha rites with brāhmaṇas during spring on Trayodaśī—river, offerings, and ritual fire present.

Characters & Entities

• Godāna
• Vastradāna
• Śrāddha
• Vasanta (spring)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and ancestral rites performed at a sanctified place multiply auspicious results and sustain dharmic continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandeśvara-tīrtha, where gifts and śrāddha are especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Godāna, vastradāna, and arranging śrāddha on spring Trayodaśī at the tīrtha.