Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

यस्तत्र कुरुते श्राद्धं विशेषादिन्दुसंक्षये । गयाश्राद्धफलं तस्य सकलं जायते ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

yastatra kurute śrāddhaṃ viśeṣādindusaṃkṣaye | gayāśrāddhaphalaṃ tasya sakalaṃ jāyate dhruvam

Translation

അവിടെ ആർ ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്യുമോ—വിശേഷിച്ച് ചന്ദ്രക്ഷയം, അഥവാ അമാവാസി സമയത്ത്—അവന് ഗയാശ്രാദ്ധത്തിന്റെ സമ്പൂർണ്ണ ഫലം നിശ്ചയമായി ലഭിക്കും।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• कुरुते: does; performs
• कुरुते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (ancestral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रयोगः (idiomatic: “especially”)

• इन्दुसंक्षये: at the waning/new-moon time (moon’s disappearance)
• इन्दुसंक्षये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इन्दोः संक्षयः)

• गयाश्राद्धफलम्: the fruit of the Gayā-śrāddha
• गयाश्राद्धफलम्: Karta (कर्ता) / Kriyā-viṣaya (predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (गयायां श्राद्धस्य फलम्)

• तस्य: of him; for him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सकलम्: entire; complete
• सकलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of फलम्)

• जायते: arises; is obtained
• जायते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः (certainly)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnamed Arbuda pitṛ-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (mahīpati) within the frame-story

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On amāvasyā, a pilgrim performs śrāddha by the water—offering piṇḍas and tarpaṇa; ancestors are suggested as subtle, satisfied presences; the scene is solemn and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Indu-saṃkṣaya (Amāvāsyā)
• Gayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving ancestors through śrāddha at a sanctified tīrtha is highly efficacious, equated with renowned pilgrimage centers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha at/near Gautamāśrama (including its sacred waters), compared in merit to Gayā for śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha there, particularly on amāvāsyā (indu-saṃkṣaya).