Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

किं श्राद्धेन गयातीर्थे वाजिमेधेन किं प्रिये । तत्र श्राद्धेन तत्सर्वं फलमभ्यधिकं लभेत्

Transliteration

kiṃ śrāddhena gayātīrthe vājimedhena kiṃ priye | tatra śrāddhena tatsarvaṃ phalamabhyadhikaṃ labhet

Translation

À quoi bon, ô bien-aimée, le śrāddha à Gayā-tīrtha, et à quoi bon l’Aśvamedha ? Par le śrāddha accompli en ce lieu, on obtient tous ces fruits, et même davantage.

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use/need?)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• श्राद्धेन: by/with śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• गया-तीर्थे: at the Gayā pilgrimage-place
• गया-तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गयायाः तीर्थम्)

• वाजि-मेधेन: by the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• वाजि-मेधेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वाजिनः मेधः)

• किम्: what (use/need?)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• प्रिये: O beloved (dear one)
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• श्राद्धेन: by śrāddha
• श्राद्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तत्-सर्वम्: all that (entire)
• तत्-सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/कर्ता or 2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (तत् एव सर्वम्)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/कर्ता or 2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अभ्यधिकम्: greater, exceeding
• अभ्यधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (comparative sense: ‘greater’)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (Aghoreśvara-associated śrāddha-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator extols Prabhāsa’s śrāddha: on one side, symbolic Gayā with piṇḍa offerings; on the other, a grand Aśvamedha scene; centrally, Prabhāsa śrāddha radiates brighter, indicating ‘abhyadhika’ fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā-tīrtha
• Aśvamedha (Vājimedha)
• Aghoreśvara (implied)
• Devī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity can surpass even famed pilgrimage centers and Vedic royal sacrifices in producing merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The śrāddha-spot associated with Aghoreśvara in Prabhāsakṣetra (present context), praised as exceeding Gayā’s results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at this Prabhāsakṣetra location to gain (and exceed) the fruits of Gayā-śrāddha and Aśvamedha.