Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । इदं तीर्थं तथा पुण्यं यथा पुण्यं गयाशिरः । सकृत्पिण्डोदकेनैव नरो निर्मलतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | idaṃ tīrthaṃ tathā puṇyaṃ yathā puṇyaṃ gayāśiraḥ | sakṛtpiṇḍodakenaiva naro nirmalatāṃ vrajet

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഈ തീർത്ഥം പുണ്യത്തിൽ പുണ്യവത്തായ ഗയാശിരസ്സിനോട് സമം. ഇവിടെ ഒരിക്കൽ മാത്രം പിണ്ഡവും ഉദകവും അർപ്പിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ നിർമലത പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• तथा: so, thus
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/तुलना-वाचक (comparative)

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गयाशिरः: Gayāśiras (the head/peak at Gayā)
• गयाशिरः: Upamana/Pramana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गयायाः शिरः)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Sambandha/Avyaya (Modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/आवृत्ति-वाचक (once)

• पिण्डोदकेन: with the rice-ball and water (offering)
• पिण्डोदकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + उदक (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (पिण्डश्च उदकं च)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारण (emphasis)

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

• निर्मलताम्: purity
• निर्मलताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्मलता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would attain/go to
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) speaks to a king, pointing toward a serene riverbank tīrtha where a pilgrim offers piṇḍas and pours water for ancestors; subtle aura of Gayā-like sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Gayāśiras
• Śūlabheda (implied)
• Piṇḍa
• Udaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere ancestral offerings at a sanctified tīrtha grant swift inner and ritual purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-tīrtha (Revā Khaṇḍa), declared equal in merit to Gayāśiras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍodaka—offering piṇḍa (rice-ball oblation) with water, even once, for purification (śrāddha context).