Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 148

Devanagari script

यादृशं गोमतीतीरे कलौ प्रेतत्वनाशनम् । गोमतीनीरदानेन कृष्णवक्त्रविलोकनात्

Transliteration

yādṛśaṃ gomatītīre kalau pretatvanāśanam | gomatīnīradānena kṛṣṇavaktravilokanāt

Translation

«Telle est, en l’âge de Kali, la destruction de l’état de preta sur la rive de la Gomatī : par l’offrande de l’eau de la Gomatī et par la contemplation du visage de Kṛṣṇa.»

Word by Word

• यादृशम्: such as; of what kind
• यादृशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नाशनम् इति)

• गोमतीतीरे: on the bank of the Gomatī
• गोमतीतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोमत्याः तीरम्)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक; युगनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रेतत्वनाशनम्: destruction of pretahood
• प्रेतत्वनाशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतत्वस्य नाशनम्)

• गोमतीनीरदानेन: by giving Gomatī water
• गोमतीनीरदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती + नीर + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (गोमत्याः नीरस्य दानम्)

• कृष्णवक्त्रविलोकनात्: from seeing Kṛṣṇa’s face
• कृष्णवक्त्रविलोकनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + वक्त्र + विलोकन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कृष्णस्य वक्त्रस्य विलोकनम्)

Speaker

Pretāḥ (departed spirits)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī-tīra (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified (likely a living beneficiary/descendant or a pilgrim being instructed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the Gomatī bank, a devotee offers a vessel of river-water while pretas nearby begin to brighten and loosen from their bonds; in the background, Kṛṣṇa’s serene face (or the Dvārakādhiśa icon) radiates moonlike compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī
• Kṛṣṇa
• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali Yuga, tīrtha-sevā (serving a sacred river) and bhagavad-darśana (seeing the Lord) are swift means to purification and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomatī tīra at Dvārakā, connected with Kṛṣṇa-darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gomatī-nīra-dāna (offering/charitably giving Gomatī water) and Kṛṣṇa-vaktra-vilokana (beholding Kṛṣṇa).