Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

गृहाच्चलितमात्रस्य गोष्पदे गमनं प्रति । स्वर्गारोहणसोपानं पितॄणां तु पदेपदे

Transliteration

gṛhāccalitamātrasya goṣpade gamanaṃ prati | svargārohaṇasopānaṃ pitṝṇāṃ tu padepade

Translation

Für den, der nur aus dem Haus aufbricht, um nach Goṣpada zu gehen, wird jeder Schritt zur Sprosse einer Himmelsleiter für die Ahnen.

Word by Word

• गृहात्: from the house
• गृहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• चलित: moved/stepped
• चलित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल् (धातु) → चलित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), ‘moved/stepped’

• मात्रस्य: of merely (that much)
• मात्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘only/just’ (measure)

• गोष्पदे: in a cow’s hoofprint
• गोष्पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + स्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; गोष्पद = ‘cow’s hoofprint’

• गमनम्: going
• गमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गमन (प्रातिपदिक/भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (act of going)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Upapada (Prepositional marker/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; ‘towards/with regard to’

• स्वर्गारोहणसोपानम्: a step/ladder for ascending to heaven
• स्वर्गारोहणसोपानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + आरोहण + सोपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषसमास: ‘svarga-ārohaṇa-sopāna’ = ladder/step for ascending to heaven

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (idiom: pade pade = at every step)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goṣpada (approach-yātrā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim leaves home with a staff and water-pot, walking toward the coastal Prabhāsa; each footprint transforms into a luminous stairway on which subtle ancestral figures ascend toward a heavenly realm.

Characters & Entities

• Goṣpada (tīrtha)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Svarga (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The intention and effort of pilgrimage itself becomes merit, aiding one’s ancestors even before arrival.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Goṣpada-tīrtha in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking a pilgrimage (yātrā) to Goṣpada; the act of setting out is itself meritorious.