Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

गोदानं तत्र कर्तव्यं वस्त्रदानं शुभावहम् । वसन्तस्य त्रयोदश्यां श्राद्धं तत्रैव कारयेत्

Transliteration

godānaṃ tatra kartavyaṃ vastradānaṃ śubhāvaham | vasantasya trayodaśyāṃ śrāddhaṃ tatraiva kārayet

Translation

അവിടെ ഗോദാനം ചെയ്യണം; ശുഭഫലം നൽകുന്ന വസ്ത്രദാനവും ചെയ്യണം. വസന്തകാലത്തിലെ ത്രയോദശി ദിനത്തിൽ അവിടെ തന്നേ ശ്രാദ്ധം നടത്തിക്കൊള്ളണം।

Word by Word

• गोदानम्: gift of a cow/cows
• गोदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go-dāna (प्रातिपदिक; गो + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘गवां दानम्’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेयभावः—‘to be done/should be done’

• वस्त्रदानम्: gift of clothes
• वस्त्रदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra-dāna (प्रातिपदिक; वस्त्र + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘वस्त्राणां दानम्’

• शुभावहम्: bringing auspiciousness
• शुभावहम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha-āvaha (प्रातिपदिक; शुभ + आवह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वस्त्रदानम् इति); उपपद-तत्पुरुषभावः—‘शुभम् आवहति’

• वसन्तस्य: of spring (season)
• वसन्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasanta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth lunar day
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Kāla-Adhikarana (Time-location/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayodaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/काल), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• कारयेत्: should have (it) performed
• कारयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandeśvara

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Narmadā ghāṭ shrine, a devotee offers a cow in donation, distributes garments, and conducts śrāddha rites with brāhmaṇas during spring on Trayodaśī—river, offerings, and ritual fire present.

Characters & Entities

• Godāna
• Vastradāna
• Śrāddha
• Vasanta (spring)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and ancestral rites performed at a sanctified place multiply auspicious results and sustain dharmic continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandeśvara-tīrtha, where gifts and śrāddha are especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Godāna, vastradāna, and arranging śrāddha on spring Trayodaśī at the tīrtha.