Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

गयाश्राद्धेन यत्पुण्यं लभते मानवो भुवि । अन्नदानेन तत्पुण्यं पितॄणां तृप्तिरक्षया

Transliteration

gayāśrāddhena yatpuṇyaṃ labhate mānavo bhuvi | annadānena tatpuṇyaṃ pitṝṇāṃ tṛptirakṣayā

Translation

Whatever merit a person gains on earth by performing the Śrāddha at Gayā—that same merit arises from the gift of food, and the satisfaction of the ancestors (Pitṛs) becomes inexhaustible.

Word by Word

• गया-श्राद्धेन: by the Gayā-śrāddha (rite at Gayā)
• गया-श्राद्धेन: करण (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गयायां श्राद्धम्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; आत्मनेपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुवि/भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अन्न-दानॆन: by giving food
• अन्न-दानॆन: करण (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अन्नस्य दानम्)

• तत्: that (same)
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: कर्म/फल (Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (Beneficiary/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• तृप्तिः: satisfaction
• तृप्तिः: कर्ता/फल (Result as subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अक्षया: imperishable, inexhaustible
• अक्षया: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तृप्तिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-feeding hall near Dvārakā: donors serving steaming rice and lentils to travelers; in the background, a subtle vision of satisfied pitṛs receiving offerings, suggesting akṣaya-tṛpti.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs
• Anna-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Food charity is elevated as a supreme dharma, comparable to renowned ancestral rites, and it benefits one’s lineage through lasting pitṛ-satisfaction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is referenced as the benchmark tīrtha for śrāddha; the ongoing context remains Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anna-dāna is prescribed as producing śrāddha-like merit and akṣayā pitṛ-tṛpti.