Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अहोरात्रोषितो भूत्वा अश्वमेधफलं लभेत् । पिण्डदानं तु यः कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप

Transliteration

ahorātroṣito bhūtvā aśvamedhaphalaṃ labhet | piṇḍadānaṃ tu yaḥ kuryāttasmiṃstīrthe narādhipa

Translation

S’il y demeure un jour et une nuit, il obtient le fruit de l’Aśvamedha. Et, ô roi, quiconque offre des piṇḍa (oblations funéraires) en ce tīrtha—

Word by Word

• अहोरात्रोषितः: having stayed for a day and night
• अहोरात्रोषितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहोरात्र + उषित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); अहोरात्रे उषितः (locative-tatpurusha sense: having stayed for a day and night); उष् (धातु) क्त (past participle)

• भूत्वा: having become/being
• भूत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (fruit of the Aśvamedha)

• लभेत्: would obtain/should obtain
• लभेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपदम्

• पिण्डदानम्: piṇḍa-offering (funerary oblation)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष (offering of piṇḍa)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• तीर्थे: in the pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• नराधिप: O king
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष (lord of men)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced); addressed listener: king (narādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meghanāda (Garjana) Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa/rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim camped by the ghat through day and night—lamp-lit riverbank at dusk, then moonlit vigil—followed by piṇḍa offerings on darbha near water, with priests chanting and ancestors symbolically receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Garjana/Meghanāda Tīrtha
• Aśvamedha
• Piṇḍa-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage disciplines—staying mindfully at a tīrtha and serving ancestors—can yield great sacrificial merit when done with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Garjana/Meghanāda Tīrtha in the Revā (Narmadā) Māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A full day-night observance at the tīrtha and piṇḍa-dāna (ancestral oblations) as a Śrāddha-related rite.