Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तत्र श्राद्धं नरः कृत्वा गयाकोटिगुणं फलम् । लभते नाऽत्र सन्देहः सोमामा यदि जायते

Transliteration

tatra śrāddhaṃ naraḥ kṛtvā gayākoṭiguṇaṃ phalam | labhate nā'tra sandehaḥ somāmā yadi jāyate

Translation

Wer dort das śrāddha vollzieht, erlangt eine Frucht, die die von Gayā um ein Krore übertrifft—daran besteht kein Zweifel—besonders wenn Somāmāvāsyā eintritt, der Neumond, der auf einen Montag fällt.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• गयाकोटिगुणम्: a crore-fold (like at Gayā)
• गयाकोटिगुणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of phalam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गया + कोटि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; समासः—गयायाः कोटिगुणम् (a crore-times of Gayā)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• सन्देहः: doubt
• सन्देहः: Kartā (Subject: 'doubt')
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• सोमामा: Somāmā (proper name)
• सोमामा: Kartā (Subject of yadi-clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (नाम; पाठभेदसम्भवः)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

• जायते: arises / is born
• जायते: Kriyā (Verb in conditional clause)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piṅgeśvara–Saptakūpa pitṛ-tīrtha (within Prabhāsa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha ceremony by coastal wells: a householder offers piṇḍa and water with kuśa, while priests recite; the sea and Piṅgeśvara shrine are visible. A calendar motif highlights Somāmāvāsyā as the peak moment.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Gayā
• Somāmāvāsyā
• Pitṛs (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-yajña performed at a powerful tīrtha multiplies merit, highlighting dharma through gratitude to ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Piṅgeśvara/Prabhāsa sacred area where śrāddha is said to surpass even Gayā in result.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha there, with special emphasis on Somāmāvāsyā (Monday new moon) as an auspicious time.