Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तिलोदकं च यद्दत्त तत्स्थले पितृभक्तितः । तत्सर्वमक्षयं प्रोक्तं गोमत्यां स्नानपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

tilodakaṃ ca yaddatta tatsthale pitṛbhaktitaḥ | tatsarvamakṣayaṃ proktaṃ gomatyāṃ snānapūrvakam

Translation

And whatever offering of sesame-water (tilodaka) is given in that place with devotion to the Pitṛs—when preceded by bathing in the Gomatī—of all that the fruit is declared imperishable and inexhaustible.

Word by Word

• तिलोदकम्: sesame-water (libation)
• तिलोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तिलयुक्तम् उदकम् इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः

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

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Anaphoric/Relative (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• दत्त: given/offered
• दत्त: Predicate/Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘दत्तम्’ (given)

• तत्स्थले: in that place
• तत्स्थले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तस्मिन् स्थले इति तत्पुरुषः

• पितृभक्तितः: out of devotion to the ancestors
• पितृभक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’ = ‘from/through’; अर्थः—पितृभक्त्या (out of devotion to ancestors)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anaphoric (निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक-सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Predicate/Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (अ-क्षय) = ‘non-decaying’

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• गोमत्याम्: in/at the Gomati (river)
• गोमत्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नदी/स्थान-नाम

• स्नानपूर्वकम्: preceded by bathing
• स्नानपूर्वकम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—स्नानं पूर्वं यस्य/येन इति (पूर्वक) ‘preceded by bathing’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Gomati Ghat, a devotee emerges from ritual bath, then offers tilodaka with cupped hands facing the water; pitṛs appear subtly in the background as luminous ancestral forms receiving the offering; priests hold darbha and water pots.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Gomatī (river/tīrtha)
• Tilodaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-devotion performed with purity (snāna) at a powerful tīrtha becomes akṣaya—its merit is said to be inexhaustible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gomatī tīrtha associated with Dvārakā is highlighted as especially efficacious for ancestral offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe in the Gomatī first (snāna-pūrvaka), then offer tilodaka (sesame-water) to the Pitṛs with devotion.