Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कन्यागते रवौ तत्र यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः । गयाशीर्षसमं तस्य पुण्यमाहुर्महर्षयः

Transliteration

kanyāgate ravau tatra yaḥ śrāddhaṃ kurute naraḥ | gayāśīrṣasamaṃ tasya puṇyamāhurmaharṣayaḥ

Translation

太陽がカニヤー（乙女宮）に入るとき、そこでシュラーダ（śrāddha）を修する者は誰であれ、大聖仙たちはその功徳がガヤーシールシャ（Gayāśīrṣa）に等しいと説く。

Word by Word

• कन्यागते: when (the sun) has entered Virgo
• कन्यागते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त, √गम् धातु)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः; 'कन्यायां गते' इति; गत-शब्दः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचन-समासपदत्वेन; अर्थः—कन्याराशौ प्रविष्टे (when entered Virgo)

• रवौ: in the Sun (when the Sun...)
• रवौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

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

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• गयाशीर्षसमम्: equal to (the merit of) Gayāśīrṣa
• गयाशीर्षसमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; 'गयायाः शीर्षम्' (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + 'सम' (उपमानवाचक); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; (puṇyam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (reporting the sages’ declaration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jambū Tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Jambū Tīrtha during Kanyā-saṅkrānti, a devotee performs śrāddha: offering piṇḍas and water to pitṛs; the Sun’s transition is symbolized; sages affirm Gayāśīrṣa-equivalent merit.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sun)
• Kanyā (Virgo)
• Śrāddha
• Gayāśīrṣa
• maharṣayaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right place and right time elevate ancestral rites; dharma toward the pitṛs is magnified by tīrtha and auspicious solar transit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jambū Tīrtha is praised as giving merit comparable to Gayāśīrṣa for śrāddha at the specified time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at that tīrtha when the Sun is in Kanyā (Virgo); the fruit is said to equal Gayāśīrṣa.