Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मज्ञानं गयाश्राद्धं मरणं गोग्रहेषु च । वासः पुंसां द्वारकायां मुक्तिरेषा चतुर्विधा

Transliteration

brahmajñānaṃ gayāśrāddhaṃ maraṇaṃ gograheṣu ca | vāsaḥ puṃsāṃ dvārakāyāṃ muktireṣā caturvidhā

Translation

മോക്ഷം നാലുവിധമെന്ന് പറയുന്നു—ബ്രഹ്മജ്ഞാനത്തിലൂടെ, ഗയയിലെ ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിലൂടെ, ഗോശാലകളിൽ (ഗോവുകളുടെ ആശ്രയത്തിൽ) മരണമിലൂടെ, ദ്വാരകയിൽ വാസത്തിലൂടെ।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मज्ञानम्: knowledge of Brahman
• ब्रह्मज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः ज्ञानम्)

• गयाश्राद्धम्: śrāddha at Gayā
• गयाश्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (गयायां श्राद्धम्)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• गोग्रहेषु: in cow-sheds/cow-enclosures
• गोग्रहेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (गवां ग्रहाः = गोशालाः/गोस्थानानि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वासः: dwelling/residence
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• द्वारकायाम्: in Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• एषा: this
• एषा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• चतुर्विधा: fourfold/of four kinds
• चतुर्विधा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु (चतस्रो विधाः यस्याः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (as mokṣa-vāsa); Gayā (as pitṛ-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel allegory: a sage in jñāna-mudrā; a son offering piṇḍa at Gayā; an aged devotee near a cowshed with cows; a pilgrim residing in Dvārakā near the sea-temple—each labeled as a mokṣa-door.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Dvārakā
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mokṣa is accessible through both jñāna and powerful sacred-place disciplines, with Dvārakā-vāsa highlighted as one such means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is elevated as a liberation-granting residence; Gayā is referenced for its śrāddha power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gayā-śrāddha, and the observance of dwelling in Dvārakā (vāsa) as a spiritual discipline.