Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

गोष्पदे पिण्डदानेन यत्फलं लभते नरः । न तच्छक्यं मया वक्तुं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि

Transliteration

goṣpade piṇḍadānena yatphalaṃ labhate naraḥ | na tacchakyaṃ mayā vaktuṃ kalpakoṭiśatairapi

Translation

ഗോഷ്പദത്തിൽ പിണ്ഡദാനം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലം—അത് ഞാൻ കോടിക്കണക്കിന് കല്പങ്ങളിലുപോലും വിവരിക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല.

Word by Word

• गोष्पदे: in a cow’s hoofprint
• गोष्पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + स्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पिण्डदानेन: by the piṇḍa-offering
• पिण्डदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘by piṇḍa-offering’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लभते
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद: ‘obtains’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negator (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; निर्देशक (that)

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक् (धातु) → शक्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (potential/gerundive): ‘possible’

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्तुम्: to describe
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → वक्तुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): ‘to say/speak’

• कल्पकोटिशतैः: even with hundreds of crores of kalpas
• कल्पकोटिशतैः: Karana (Instrument/measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प + कोटि + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘by hundreds of crores of kalpas’ (instrumental of measure)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti), deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style in Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goṣpada

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-listener in Prabhāsa-māhātmya (unspecified in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a marked sacred spot called Goṣpada, a pilgrim offers piṇḍas; the atmosphere suggests immeasurable unseen merit—celestial scribes pause, and the sky opens subtly, indicating fruits beyond narration.

Characters & Entities

• Goṣpada
• Piṇḍa-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some tīrthas confer merit so vast that it is said to be beyond ordinary description; this inspires faith and reverence in ancestral rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Goṣpada, a sacred spot within the Prabhāsakṣetra sphere of pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa-dāna—offering piṇḍas for the welfare and upliftment of the pitṛs (ancestors).