Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा सरस्वत्यां पिंडदानं ददाति यः । गयाकोटिगुणं पुण्यं वैशाख्यां प्राप्नुयान्नरः

Transliteration

tatra snātvā sarasvatyāṃ piṃḍadānaṃ dadāti yaḥ | gayākoṭiguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ vaiśākhyāṃ prāpnuyānnaraḥ

Translation

Quiconque s’y baigne dans la Sarasvatī et y offre des piṇḍa (oblations aux ancêtres) obtient, au mois de Vaiśākha, un mérite dix millions de fois supérieur à celui de Gayā.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• सरस्वत्याम्: in (the river) Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पिण्डदानम्: offering of funeral rice-balls (piṇḍa-offering)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पिण्डस्य दानम्)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक relative pronoun

• गया: of Gayā
• गया: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• कोटि: of a crore; ten million
• कोटि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• गुणम्: times; multiplied by
• गुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; समासोत्तरपद (गया-कोटि-गुणम्)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• वैशाख्याम्: in (the month of) Vaiśākha
• वैशाख्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशाखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कालवाचक (time-locative)

• प्राप्नुयात्: would attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/सम्भावना-आज्ञा), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camasodbheda Sarasvatī-tīrtha

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the Sarasvatī bank performs snāna, then offers piṇḍas on darbha grass; nearby priests guide rites; subtle ancestral figures receive offerings; the month of Vaiśākha suggested by bright sun and flowering trees.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (river)
• Piṇḍadāna
• Pitṛs (ancestors, implied)
• Gayā
• Vaiśākha (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving the ancestors through piṇḍadāna at a sanctified tīrtha, especially in an auspicious time, multiplies merit and supports dharmic continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī bathing-place at/near Camasodbheda in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in Sarasvatī and piṇḍadāna (ancestral offering), particularly during the month of Vaiśākha.