Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

विनाप्यक्षतदर्भैर्वा विना भावनया तथा । वारिमात्रेण गोमत्यां गयाश्राद्धफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

vināpyakṣatadarbhairvā vinā bhāvanayā tathā | vārimātreṇa gomatyāṃ gayāśrāddhaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

अक्षत और दर्भ के बिना भी, तथा विशेष भाव-कल्पना के बिना भी—गोमती में केवल जल से गया-श्राद्ध का फल प्राप्त होता है।

Word by Word

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/उपसर्गसदृशः (preposition-like particle) = ‘without’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) = ‘even/also’

• akṣata-darbhaiḥ: with unbroken rice and darbha grass
• akṣata-darbhaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣata (प्रातिपदिक) + darbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्वसमासः (copulative)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle) = ‘or’

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात = ‘without’

• bhāvanayā: (pious) intention/mental resolve
• bhāvanayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāvanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) = ‘thus/likewise’

• vāri-mātreṇa: by mere water alone
• vāri-mātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāri (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (measure of water)

• gomatyām: in/at the Gomati (river)
• gomatyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gomatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• gayā-śrāddha-phalam: the fruit of the Gayā-śrāddha
• gayā-śrāddha-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक) + śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (determinative)

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (लभ् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim with empty hands except for cupped water performs a simple offering at the river; in the background, a symbolic silhouette of Gayā’s sacred landscape appears as an equivalence motif.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī (river)
• Gayā (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of a great tīrtha can make simple offerings effective; purity of place and intention can outweigh ritual complexity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomatī at Dvārakā, declared to confer Gayā-śrāddha-like merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A minimal śrāddha-style offering: even mere water (udaka) at Gomatī is said to yield great fruit.