Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

न धर्मात्परमस्तीह तपो नानशनात्परम् । स्नात्वा यः कुरुते ऽत्रापि श्राद्धं पिंडोदकक्रियाम्

Transliteration

na dharmātparamastīha tapo nānaśanātparam | snātvā yaḥ kurute 'trāpi śrāddhaṃ piṃḍodakakriyām

Translation

ここにおいて、ダルマに勝るものはなく、断食に勝る苦行もない。ここで沐浴し、シュラッダ（供団〈ピンダ〉と献水の儀）を行う者は、大いなる功徳を得る。

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• dharmāt: than dharma
• dharmāt: Apādāna (standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• param: higher
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• asti: exists/is
• asti: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• iha: here
• iha: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karta/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• anaśanāt: than fasting
• anaśanāt: Apādāna (standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anaśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• param: higher
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु) → snātvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) ‘having bathed’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• kurute: does/performs
• kurute: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• atra: here
• atra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

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

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• piṇḍa-udaka-kriyām: piṇḍa-and-water offering rite
• piṇḍa-udaka-kriyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (piṇḍa-udaka-viṣayā kriyā = rite of piṇḍa and water offerings)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Skanda Purāṇa narrative context; exact speaker not in snippet)

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Piṇḍa
• Udaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is fulfilled by dharmic conduct—self-restraint through fasting and compassionate duty toward ancestors through Śrāddha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The phrase ‘here’ points to the Dharmāraṇya tīrtha of this chapter, where bathing and Śrāddha are said to be especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing) followed by Śrāddha, including piṇḍa offerings and udaka (water) libations.