Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

एकविंशतिवारैस्तु गयायां पिंडदानतः । धर्मेश्वरे सकृद्दत्तं पितॄणां चाक्षयं भवेत्

Transliteration

ekaviṃśativāraistu gayāyāṃ piṃḍadānataḥ | dharmeśvare sakṛddattaṃ pitṝṇāṃ cākṣayaṃ bhavet

Translation

What is gained by offering piṇḍas at Gayā twenty-one times—that same result becomes inexhaustible for the ancestors when a single offering is made at Dharmeśvara.

Word by Word

• एकविंशतिवारैः: by twenty-one times
• एकविंशतिवारैः: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति + वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘एकविंशत्याः वाराः’ (twenty-one times)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पिण्डदानतः: from (the act of) offering rice-balls
• पिण्डदानतः: Apādāna (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दान), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘पिण्डस्य दानम्’

• धर्मेश्वरे: at Dharmeśvara
• धर्मेश्वरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Dharmeśvara—name/place/deity)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दत्तम्: offered
• दत्तम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘given/offered’

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable/inexhaustible
• अक्षयम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवेत्: may become/will be
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-panel comparison: left, Gayā with repeated piṇḍa offerings (21 times) by a pilgrim; right, Dharmeśvara shrine where a single piṇḍa offering radiates an endless (akṣaya) stream of light to ancestors; a Śiva-liṅga presides as Dharmeśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Piṇḍadāna
• Dharmeśvara
• Pitaraḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A specially empowered sacred site can concentrate spiritual efficacy—one dharmic act there yields inexhaustible benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmeśvara (Śiva) in the Dharmāraṇya context, compared with the famous piṇḍadāna site of Gayā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer once (sakṛt) for the Pitṛs at Dharmeśvara—presented as yielding akṣaya fruit comparable to repeated Gayā piṇḍadāna.