Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

श्राद्धपक्षे त्वमावास्यां गोमत्युदधिसंगमे । हेलया प्राप्यते पुण्यं दत्त्वा पिण्डं गयासमम्

Transliteration

śrāddhapakṣe tvamāvāsyāṃ gomatyudadhisaṃgame | helayā prāpyate puṇyaṃ dattvā piṇḍaṃ gayāsamam

Translation

ಶ್ರಾದ್ಧಪಕ್ಷದ ಅಮಾವಾಸ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗೋಮತಿ-ಸಮುದ್ರ ಸಂಗಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದಿಂದಲೂ ಪುಣ್ಯ ಲಭಿಸುತ್ತದೆ; ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಪಿಂಡದಾನ ಮಾಡಿದರೆ ಗಯಾಸಮಾನ ಫಲ ಸಿಗುತ್ತದೆ।

Word by Word

• श्राद्धपक्षे: in the śrāddha fortnight
• श्राद्धपक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध-पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; श्राद्ध + पक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; श्राद्धस्य पक्षः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• अमावास्यायाम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गोमती-उदधि-संगमे: at the confluence of the Gomati and the ocean
• गोमती-उदधि-संगमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती-उदधि-संगम (प्रातिपदिक; गोमती + उदधि + संगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; गोमत्याः उदधेः संगमः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बहुपद)

• हेलया: even casually; with little effort
• हेलया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्राप्यते: is obtained
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्म (object)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• पिण्डम्: a piṇḍa (funeral rice-ball offering)
• पिण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गयासमम्: equal to (that of) Gayā
• गयासमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गया-सम (प्रातिपदिक; गया + सम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुण्य/फलस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī–samudra-saṅgama (Dvārakā)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk on amāvāsyā, pilgrims on the ghāṭ shape rice-balls (piṇḍas) on darbha, offer them facing the water, and pour sesame-water tarpaṇa; the sea is dark, lamps flicker, and the mood is tender and ancestral.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha-pakṣa (Pitṛpakṣa)
• Amāvāsyā
• Gomatī
• Udādhi (ocean)
• Piṇḍa
• Gayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For pitṛ-dharma, a sanctified place and time can make the offering exceptionally fruitful, easing one’s duty toward ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomatī–Udadhisaṅgama near Dvārakā, praised as yielding Gayā-like merit for piṇḍa offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer piṇḍa during Pitṛpakṣa Amāvāsyā at the Gomatī–ocean confluence.