Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

सकृत्तीर्थाभिगमनं सकृत्पिण्डप्रपातनम् । दुर्ल्लभं किं पुनर्नित्यमस्मिंस्तीर्थे व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

sakṛttīrthābhigamanaṃ sakṛtpiṇḍaprapātanam | durllabhaṃ kiṃ punarnityamasmiṃstīrthe vyavasthitam

Translation

Aller au tīrtha ne fût-ce qu’une fois, offrir le piṇḍa ne fût-ce qu’une fois—qu’y a-t-il encore de difficile à obtenir pour celui qui demeure ici sans cesse, en ce lieu saint ?

Word by Word

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (once)

• तीर्थ-अभिगमनम्: going to the tīrtha
• तीर्थ-अभिगमनम्: Karma/Topic (Thing spoken of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + अभिगमन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थस्य अभिगमनम्’

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (once)

• पिण्ड-प्रपातनम्: offering/casting of the piṇḍa
• पिण्ड-प्रपातनम्: Karma/Topic (Thing spoken of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + प्रपातन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पिण्डस्य प्रपातनम्’ (casting/placing of piṇḍa)

• दुर्लभम्: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• किम्: what (then?)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• पुनः: then, moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति/अधिक्यवाचक अव्यय (again/further)

• नित्यम्: always, continually
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as adverb: always)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तीर्थे: in the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितम्: being established/abiding
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Predicate/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ = established/abiding

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard frame; contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim arrives at the luminous Prabhāsa tīrtha, offers a single piṇḍa with folded hands; the kṣetra’s sanctity is shown as an aura, implying that constant dwelling there makes all attainments easy.

Characters & Entities

• Goṣpada (tīrtha)
• Piṇḍa (śrāddha offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

If even a single visit and a single offering are so fruitful, sustained devotion and residence in the tīrtha multiplies attainable merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha under discussion in this passage is Goṣpada within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-visit (abhigamana) and piṇḍa-offering (piṇḍa-prapātana), with emphasis on continual observance.