Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

गयासप्तगुणं पुण्यं कथं तत्र प्रजायते । श्राद्धस्य किं विधानं तु के मंत्रास्तत्र के द्विजाः । एतन्मे कौतुकं देव यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

gayāsaptaguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ kathaṃ tatra prajāyate | śrāddhasya kiṃ vidhānaṃ tu ke maṃtrāstatra ke dvijāḥ | etanme kautukaṃ deva yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Translation

Comment le mérite, sept fois celui de Gayā, naît-il en ce lieu ? Quelle est la règle juste du śrāddha ; quels mantras y sont récités, et quels brāhmaṇas (dvijas) convient-il d’y engager ? Telle est ma curiosité, ô Seigneur : daigne l’exposer correctement, comme il se doit.

Word by Word

• गया: of Gayā
• गया: Sambandha (Genitival in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन = Feminine, Genitive singular (in compound sense)

• सप्तगुणम्: sevenfold
• सप्तगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-गुण (प्रातिपदिक; सप्तन् + गुण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Nom/Acc singular; द्विगु-समास “सप्त गुणाः यस्य तत्” (quantifying)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन = Neuter, Nominative singular

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण) = “how”

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = locative adverb “there”

• प्रजायते: arises
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद = Present, 3rd person singular, middle; “arises/is produced”

• श्राद्धस्य: of the śrāddha
• श्राद्धस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन = Neuter, Genitive singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshya (Interrogative complement/प्रश्नपूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Nom/Acc singular (interrogative)

• विधानम्: procedure/ordinance
• विधानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन = Neuter, Nominative singular

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अन्वयार्थक निपात) = particle “but/and”

• के: which/who (plural)
• के: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural (interrogative)

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = “there”

• के: which/who (plural)
• के: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural (interrogative)

• द्विजाः: Brahmins
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object of implied ‘to tell’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Nom/Acc singular

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन = Genitive singular “my/to me” (enclitic)

• कौतुकम्: curiosity
• कौतुकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन = Neuter, Nominative singular

• देव: O Lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन = Masculine, Vocative singular

• यथावत्: properly
• यथावत्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक) = adverb “properly/in due manner”

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), “to speak/tell”

• अर्हसि: you ought/are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Present, 2nd person singular, active

Speaker

Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra (context of a śrāddha-tīrtha within it)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (hearing Devī’s inquiry)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A goddess respectfully questions Īśvara about the sevenfold merit of Gayā at Prabhāsa, asking for śrāddha procedure, mantras, and the qualifications of brāhmaṇas; the setting evokes a sacred coastal kṣetra with ritual readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Goṣpada tīrtha
• Śrāddha
• Mantra
• Dvipra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power depends on correct method, mantra, and worthy officiants, all anchored in śraddhā and scriptural clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Goṣpada tīrtha is the site whose exceptional śrāddha merit is being investigated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for śrāddha-vidhi details: procedure, mantras, and the qualifications/selection of dvijas (priests).