Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

गयायां प्रस्थितः सोऽपि श्राद्धार्थं तत्र वासरे । विश्वेदेवाः प्रतिज्ञाय गयायां प्रस्थिता विधिम्

Transliteration

gayāyāṃ prasthitaḥ so'pi śrāddhārthaṃ tatra vāsare | viśvedevāḥ pratijñāya gayāyāṃ prasthitā vidhim

Translation

അവനും ആ ദിവസമേ ശ്രാദ്ധാർത്ഥമായി ഗയയിലേക്കു പുറപ്പെട്ടു. വിശ്വേദേവന്മാർ പ്രതിജ്ഞ ചെയ്ത്, വിധിപ്രകാരം ഗയയിലേക്കു യാത്രയായി.

Word by Word

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative of place)

• प्रस्थितः: having set out / departed
• प्रस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे

• श्राद्धार्थम्: for the purpose of śrāddha
• श्राद्धार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक); श्राद्धस्य अर्थः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• वासरे: on the day / at that time
• वासरे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; काले अधिकरणे

• विश्वेदेवाः: the Viśvedevas
• विश्वेदेवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वे + देव (प्रातिपदिक); ‘विश्वे देवाः’
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्य)

• प्रतिज्ञाय: having promised
• प्रतिज्ञाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति-ज्ञा (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• प्रस्थिताः: having set out
• प्रस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• विधिम्: the rite / procedure
• विधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (within the Purāṇic dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim sets out toward Gayā for śrāddha; in the sky and along the route, the Viśvedevas move with solemn resolve, as if bound by a vow to attend the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• śrāddha
• Viśvedevas
• Brahmā (implied from prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gayā is portrayed as so authoritative for pitṛ-dharma that even cosmic beings align themselves with its śrāddha-vidhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā, the foremost tīrtha for śrāddha and ancestral liberation rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Travel to Gayā specifically for śrāddha, performed in accordance with established vidhi (ritual rule).