Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

यस्तत्र कुरुते श्राद्धं विशेषादिन्दुसंक्षये । गयाश्राद्धफलं तस्य सकलं जायते ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

yastatra kurute śrāddhaṃ viśeṣādindusaṃkṣaye | gayāśrāddhaphalaṃ tasya sakalaṃ jāyate dhruvam

Translation

Wer dort ein śrāddha vollzieht—besonders zur Zeit des abnehmenden Mondes, am amāvasyā‑Tag (Neumond)—erlangt gewiss in voller Fülle die Frucht des in Gayā dargebrachten śrāddha.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• कुरुते: does; performs
• कुरुते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (ancestral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रयोगः (idiomatic: “especially”)

• इन्दुसंक्षये: at the waning/new-moon time (moon’s disappearance)
• इन्दुसंक्षये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इन्दोः संक्षयः)

• गयाश्राद्धफलम्: the fruit of the Gayā-śrāddha
• गयाश्राद्धफलम्: Karta (कर्ता) / Kriyā-viṣaya (predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (गयायां श्राद्धस्य फलम्)

• तस्य: of him; for him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सकलम्: entire; complete
• सकलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of फलम्)

• जायते: arises; is obtained
• जायते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः (certainly)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnamed Arbuda pitṛ-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (mahīpati) within the frame-story

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On amāvasyā, a pilgrim performs śrāddha by the water—offering piṇḍas and tarpaṇa; ancestors are suggested as subtle, satisfied presences; the scene is solemn and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Indu-saṃkṣaya (Amāvāsyā)
• Gayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving ancestors through śrāddha at a sanctified tīrtha is highly efficacious, equated with renowned pilgrimage centers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha at/near Gautamāśrama (including its sacred waters), compared in merit to Gayā for śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha there, particularly on amāvāsyā (indu-saṃkṣaya).