Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

एतेषामेव सर्वेषामिदानीं श्राद्धमाचर । गत्वा गयाशिरः पुण्यं येन मुक्तिः प्रजायते

Transliteration

eteṣāmeva sarveṣāmidānīṃ śrāddhamācara | gatvā gayāśiraḥ puṇyaṃ yena muktiḥ prajāyate

Translation

„Vollziehe nun das Śrāddha für all diese. Und gehe zum heiligen Gayāśiras, durch den Befreiung erlangt wird.“

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Emphasis adjunct
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषणं (qualifying ‘एतेषाम्’)

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Kala (Time adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आचर: perform
• आचर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः: आ-

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action adjunct)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• गयाशिरः: Gayāśiras (Gayā’s head; sacred place)
• गयाशिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: गयायाः शिरः (place-name)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘गयाशिरः’

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; साधनवाचक

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises, is produced
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; उपसर्गः: प्र-

Speaker

Preta (liberated) instructing the Śūdra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayāśiras

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The liberated being instructs the Śūdra: perform śrāddha for all departed, then journey to Gayāśiras—depicted as a sacred hill/shrine landscape associated with pitṛ rites.

Characters & Entities

• śrāddha
• Gayāśiras
• mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Care for the departed through śrāddha and pilgrimage is upheld as a direct dhārmic means leading toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayāśiras is explicitly praised as a supremely meritorious place connected with mukti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha for the departed; additionally, undertake pilgrimage to Gayāśiras for the fruit of liberation.