Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 155

Devanagari script

स्नानं दानं जपो होमः स्वाध्यायः पितृतर्पणम् । कृतं बहूदकतटे सर्वं स्यात्सुमहात्फलम्

Transliteration

snānaṃ dānaṃ japo homaḥ svādhyāyaḥ pitṛtarpaṇam | kṛtaṃ bahūdakataṭe sarvaṃ syātsumahātphalam

Translation

സ്നാനം, ദാനം, ജപം, ഹോമം, സ്വാധ്യായം, പിതൃതർപ്പണം—ബഹൂദകയുടെ തീരത്ത് ചെയ്യുന്നതെല്ലാം അത്യന്തം മഹാഫലം നൽകുന്നതാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्म/विषय-रूपे (bathing)

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• जपः: recitation (japa)
• जपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• होमः: fire-offering (homa)
• होमः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• स्वाध्यायः: self-study (Vedic study)
• स्वाध्यायः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• पितृतर्पणम्: offering to the ancestors
• पितृतर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां तर्पणम्)

• कृतम्: performed
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त/कृतप्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘done/performed’—पूर्वोक्तकर्मणां विशेषणम्

• बहूदकतटे: on the bank of Bahūdaka
• बहूदकतटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहूदक (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बहूदकस्य तटे)

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समस्तकर्मसमूहस्य बोधकः

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘would be/should become’

• सुमहात्फलम्: a very great result
• सुमहात्फलम्: Karmapravachaniya/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सुमहत् फलम्); संधिः: सुमहात् + फलम् → सुमहात्फलम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūdaka

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandabhadra (addressed indirectly in the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred riverbank/pool-edge labeled Bahūdaka; pilgrims perform snāna, offer dāna to brāhmaṇas, sit for japa, a small homa-fire burns, a scholar recites svādhyāya, and another performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa with water-libations.

Characters & Entities

• Bahūdaka
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha amplifies dhārmic actions—personal purification, charity, worship, study, and ancestor rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bahūdaka taṭa (the bank of Bahūdaka).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna, dāna, japa, homa, svādhyāya, and pitṛ-tarpaṇa performed at the site.