Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

श्राद्धपक्षे त्वमावास्यां गोमत्युदधिसंगमे । हेलया प्राप्यते पुण्यं दत्त्वा पिण्डं गयासमम्

Transliteration

śrāddhapakṣe tvamāvāsyāṃ gomatyudadhisaṃgame | helayā prāpyate puṇyaṃ dattvā piṇḍaṃ gayāsamam

Translation

En la amāvasyā (luna nueva) de la quincena de Śrāddha, en la confluencia del Gomātī con el océano, se obtiene mérito aun con poco esfuerzo; al ofrecer allí un piṇḍa, se logra un fruto igual al de Gayā.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धपक्षे: in the śrāddha fortnight
• श्राद्धपक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध-पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; श्राद्ध + पक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; श्राद्धस्य पक्षः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• अमावास्यायाम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गोमती-उदधि-संगमे: at the confluence of the Gomati and the ocean
• गोमती-उदधि-संगमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती-उदधि-संगम (प्रातिपदिक; गोमती + उदधि + संगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; गोमत्याः उदधेः संगमः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बहुपद)

• हेलया: even casually; with little effort
• हेलया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्राप्यते: is obtained
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्म (object)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• पिण्डम्: a piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball offering)
• पिण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गयासमम्: equal to (that of) Gayā
• गयासमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गया-सम (प्रातिपदिक; गया + सम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुण्य/फलस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī–samudra-saṅgama (Dvārakā)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk on amāvāsyā, pilgrims on the ghāṭ shape rice-balls (piṇḍas) on darbha, offer them facing the water, and pour sesame-water tarpaṇa; the sea is dark, lamps flicker, and the mood is tender and ancestral.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha-pakṣa (Pitṛpakṣa)
• Amāvāsyā
• Gomatī
• Udādhi (ocean)
• Piṇḍa
• Gayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For pitṛ-dharma, a sanctified place and time can make the offering exceptionally fruitful, easing one’s duty toward ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomatī–Udadhisaṅgama near Dvārakā, praised as yielding Gayā-like merit for piṇḍa offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer piṇḍa during Pitṛpakṣa Amāvāsyā at the Gomatī–ocean confluence.