Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

पिंडदानं गयाक्षेत्रादधिकं पांडुनंदन । इदं संप्राप्यते पर्व महद्भिः पुण्यराशिभिः

Transliteration

piṃḍadānaṃ gayākṣetrādadhikaṃ pāṃḍunaṃdana | idaṃ saṃprāpyate parva mahadbhiḥ puṇyarāśibhiḥ

Translation

O son of Pāṇḍu, the offering of piṇḍas here surpasses even that of Gayā. This sacred occasion is attained only by those who possess vast accumulations of merit.

Word by Word

• पिण्ड-दानम्: piṇḍa-offering (funerary oblation)
• पिण्ड-दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डस्य दानम्)

• गया-क्षेत्रात्: than Gayā-kṣetra
• गया-क्षेत्रात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः (गयायाः क्षेत्रम्)

• अधिकम्: greater
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पिण्डदानम्)

• पाण्डु-नन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डु-नन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पाण्डोः नन्दनः)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संप्राप्यते: is obtained/attained
• संप्राप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• पर्व: festival/holy occasion
• पर्व: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• महद्भिः: great
• महद्भिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पुण्यराशिभिः)

• पुण्य-राशिभिः: by heaps of merit
• पुण्य-राशिभिः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (पुण्यः राशिः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī–Sāgara-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a sandy confluence bank, a devotee offers rice-balls (piṇḍas) with kuśa grass and water-libations, while the ocean horizon witnesses the rite; ancestral presence is suggested as subtle luminous forms receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Piṇḍa-dāna
• Gayā-kṣetra
• Pāṇḍu-nandana
• Puṇya-rāśi
• Parva
• Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the ancestors performed at a supremely praised tīrtha is exalted, and access to such holy occasions is itself viewed as the fruit of prior merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama, whose piṇḍa-dāna is said to exceed even Gayā-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform piṇḍa-dāna (ancestral rice-ball offerings), especially on the great parva described in the surrounding verses.