Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पूर्वं तत्रैव गत्वा च ततो रुद्रगयां व्रजेत् । गोदानं तत्र देयं तु सम्यग्यात्राफलेप्सुभिः

Transliteration

pūrvaṃ tatraiva gatvā ca tato rudragayāṃ vrajet | godānaṃ tatra deyaṃ tu samyagyātrāphalepsubhiḥ

Translation

Après s’y être rendu d’abord, qu’on se rende ensuite à Rudragayā. Ceux qui désirent le plein fruit du pèlerinage doivent assurément y offrir le don d’une vache.

Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: first, beforehand
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (first/before)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphasis/only)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ततः: then, from there
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (from there/then)

• रुद्रगयाम्: to Rudra-gayā (a sacred place)
• रुद्रगयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य गया)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गोदानम्: gift of a cow
• गोदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां दानम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• देयम्: to be given
• देयम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयार्थ (to be given)

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

• सम्यग्यात्राफलेप्सुभिः: by those desiring the proper fruit of pilgrimage
• सम्यग्यात्राफलेप्सुभिः: Kartr-sahakari (Agent-associated/कर्ता-सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्यक् + यात्रा + फल + इप्सु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः (यात्राफलम् इप्सवः = यात्राफलेप्सवः; तेषां सम्यक्-विशेषणेन)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudragayā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) Devī or sages, per surrounding Prabhāsa-māhātmya dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims, having completed a prior stop, walk in procession to Rudragayā; a donor offers a decorated cow to a brāhmaṇa near a sacred water-spot, with Śiva’s presence implied by liṅga/triśūla emblems.

Characters & Entities

• Rudragayā
• Śaṃkhāvartta/Śaṅkhodaka tīrtha
• Godāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by compassion and charity; dāna seals the merit generated by tīrtha-darśana and snāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rudragayā is recommended as the next sacred destination after visiting the earlier tīrtha (Śaṃkhāvartta/Śaṅkhodaka).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Godāna (donation of a cow) is prescribed for those seeking the full pilgrimage merit.