Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तान्गच्छेद्विधिवद्देवि यदि यात्राफलेप्सुता । स्नात्वा पिण्डप्रदानं च कुर्यात्तत्र यथार्थतः । ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तथा देयमन्नं भूरि सदक्षिणम्

Transliteration

tāngacchedvidhivaddevi yadi yātrāphalepsutā | snātvā piṇḍapradānaṃ ca kuryāttatra yathārthataḥ | brāhmaṇebhyastathā deyamannaṃ bhūri sadakṣiṇam

Translation

O Göttin, wer die volle Frucht der Pilgerfahrt begehrt, soll jene Orte nach der vorgeschriebenen Ordnung aufsuchen. Nachdem er dort gebadet hat, soll er rechtmäßig Piṇḍas (Ahnenopfergaben) darbringen. Auch soll er den Brāhmaṇas reichlich Speise geben, zusammen mit angemessener Dakṣiṇā.

Word by Word

• tān: those (places)
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriyā (Instruction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• vidhi-vat: according to proper procedure
• vidhi-vat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (in accordance with rule), अव्यय (adverb)

• devi: O goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), शर्तबोधक (conditional particle)

• yātrā-phala-epsutā: desire for the fruit of pilgrimage
• yātrā-phala-epsutā: Karta (Subject of condition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + ipsu (कृत्: desiderative agent) + tā (प्रातिपदिक-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (yātrāphala-ipsutā = desire for pilgrimage-fruit), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: snā (धातु) + tvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable)

• piṇḍa-pradānam: piṇḍa-offering (funerary oblation)
• piṇḍa-pradānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + pradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (piṇḍa-offering), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• kuryāt: should do; should perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• yathārthataḥ: properly; as it should be
• yathārthataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (in the proper/true manner), अव्यय (manner adverb)

• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: to Brahmins
• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tathā: also
• tathā: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक (also)

• deyam: should be given
• deyam: Kriyā (Obligation/विधेय-क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु) + ya (यत्/णीयत् भाव: देय)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive: to be given), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय (predicative)

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (Thing given/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhūri: much; abundant
• bhūri: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (indeclinable-like adjective), परिमाणवाचक (quantifier)

• sa-dakṣiṇam: with a fee/donation
• sa-dakṣiṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (with dakṣiṇā), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims arrive at a coastal/riverine tīrtha; they bathe, then on a clean sand/stone platform offer piṇḍas with kuśa grass and water; nearby brāhmaṇas are seated for a meal; gifts are presented respectfully.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Gaṅgā-srotas (implied from prior verse)
• Surārka-liṅga (implied from prior verse)
• Piṇḍa-pradāna
• Brāhmaṇas
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes spiritually complete when devotion is joined with dharmic action—purificatory bathing, ancestral rites, and generosity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The west-of-Maṅgala pilgrimage stops—especially the Gaṅgā-srotas and Surārka-liṅga—where the pilgrim performs bath and offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhi-based visitation (vidhivat yātrā), snāna, piṇḍa-pradāna for ancestors, and feeding brāhmaṇas with abundant food plus dakṣiṇā.