Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

संनिहत्यां कुरुक्षेत्रे प्रभासे कुरुनन्दन । पिण्डोदकप्रदानेन यत्फलं कथितं बुधैः

Transliteration

saṃnihatyāṃ kurukṣetre prabhāse kurunandana | piṇḍodakapradānena yatphalaṃ kathitaṃ budhaiḥ

Translation

ഹേ കുരുനന്ദന, കുരുക്ഷേത്രത്തിലെ സന്നിഹിതാ തീർഥത്തിലും പ്രഭാസത്തിലും—പിണ്ഡോദകപ്രദാനത്തിൽ നിന്നുണ്ടാകുന്ന ഫലം എന്ന് പണ്ഡിതർ പറഞ്ഞത്…

Word by Word

• संनिहत्याम्: at Saṃnihatī
• संनिहत्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिहती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: at Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• प्रभासे: at Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• कुरुनन्दन: O delight of the Kurus
• कुरुनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुरूणां नन्दनः)

• पिण्डोदकप्रदानेन: by offering rice-balls and water
• पिण्डोदकप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पिण्डस्य उदकस्य च प्रदानम्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम; विशेषणम् (फलम्)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथितम्: has been stated
• कथितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्तृकरण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Deductive (Revā Khaṇḍa narrator addressing a Kuru prince/kingly listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃnihitā (Kurukṣetra); Prabhāsa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kurunandana (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two sacred settings juxtaposed: a serene sarovar at Kurukṣetra with pilgrims offering tarpaṇa, and the sea-adjacent Prabhāsa with a temple silhouette; a narrator links their merits.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃnihitā-tīrtha
• Kurukṣetra
• Prabhāsa
• Kuru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa compares renowned pilgrimage sites to establish the exceptional merit of pitṛ offerings performed in specific tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Saṃnihitā-tīrtha at Kurukṣetra and Prabhāsa are explicitly mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa and udaka offerings (śrāddha/tarpaṇa) performed at these tīrthas.