Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

गयापिंडेन नास्माकं तृप्तिर्भवति तादृशी । यादृशी विष्णुभक्तानां सत्कारेणोप जायते

Transliteration

gayāpiṃḍena nāsmākaṃ tṛptirbhavati tādṛśī | yādṛśī viṣṇubhaktānāṃ satkāreṇopa jāyate

Translation

La satisfaction que nous recevons n’est pas même de celle que procure l’offrande de piṇḍa à Gayā ; car celle qui naît de l’honneur rendu aux dévots de Viṣṇu est bien supérieure.

Word by Word

• gayāpiṇḍena: by the Gayā piṇḍa-offering
• gayāpiṇḍena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā + piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gayāyāḥ piṇḍaḥ)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• asmākam: of us/our
• asmākam: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; सम्बन्ध

• tṛptiḥ: satisfaction
• tṛptiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (of ‘bhavati’)

• bhavati: arises/is
• bhavati: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tādṛśī: such (of that kind)
• tādṛśī: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘tṛptiḥ’ विशेषण (such)

• yādṛśī: as/which kind
• yādṛśī: Visheshana (Relative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative adjective)

• viṣṇubhaktānām: of devotees of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇubhaktānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (viṣṇoḥ bhaktāḥ)

• satkāreṇa: by honoring (them) properly
• satkāreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + kāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण; तत्पुरुष (sat = good + kāra = honoring)

• upa: up/near (intensifier)
• upa: Sambandha (Preverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upa (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग-स्वरूपेण (preverb) ‘jāyate’ सह; here separated by sandhi

• jāyate: is born/arises
• jāyate: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (जन्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Pitṛs (explicit ‘asmākam’—our satisfaction—strongly indicates ancestors speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (comparison: Gayā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vaiṣṇava devotee is honored with seat, water, food, and gifts; subtle presence of pitṛs receiving satisfaction in the unseen realm; Gayā piṇḍa rite shown as a secondary vignette.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Piṇḍa
• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇu-bhakta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Respecting and serving Viṣṇu’s devotees is presented as an exceptionally potent act that deeply benefits the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is referenced as a renowned śrāddha-tīrtha, while the surrounding passage belongs to the Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Satkāra (honoring) of Viṣṇu-bhaktas is singled out as a superior means of producing pitṛ-tṛpti (ancestral satisfaction).