Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तत्र गोष्पदसामीप्ये चरुणा सुशृतेन च । पितॄणामनाथानां च मंत्रैः पिंडांश्च निर्वपेत्

Transliteration

tatra goṣpadasāmīpye caruṇā suśṛtena ca | pitṝṇāmanāthānāṃ ca maṃtraiḥ piṃḍāṃśca nirvapet

Translation

അവിടെ ഗോഷ്പദത്തിനടുത്ത്, നന്നായി വേവിച്ച ചരുവോടുകൂടെ, മന്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ ആശ്രയമില്ലാത്ത പിതൃകൾക്കുമായി കൂടി പിണ്ഡങ്ങൾ അർപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• गोष्पदसामीप्ये: near the cow’s footprint (a small pool)
• गोष्पदसामीप्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोष्पद (प्रातिपदिक) + सामीप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गोष्पदस्य सामीप्यम्)

• चरुणा: with caru (cooked oblation)
• चरुणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सुशृतेन: well-cooked
• सुशृतेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-शृत (प्रातिपदिक; शृ/श्रि? from √श्रि/√श्रु not; here PPP of √श्रि? actually √श्रि not; intended from √श्रि?; standard: सुशृत = well-cooked, from √श्रि/√श्रु?; treat as शृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (चरुणा)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• अनाथानाम्: of the helpless/without protectors
• अनाथानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; विशेषण (पितॄणाम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• पिण्डान्: rice-ball offerings
• पिण्डान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• निर्वपेत्: should offer/scatter (as oblation)
• निर्वपेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्+वप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator giving tīrtha-ritual instructions

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goṣpada-tīrtha (within Prabhāsa)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Near a marked sacred footprint-like spot (Goṣpada), a priest and pilgrim arrange piṇḍas; a pot of steaming caru is offered; mantras are recited for unattended pitṛs.

Characters & Entities

• Goṣpada (tīrtha/spot)
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion extends beyond one’s own lineage: dharma includes rites for forgotten or unsupported ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Goṣpada, a named sacred spot associated with the Prabhāsa-kṣetra ritual setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Near Goṣpada, offer piṇḍas with mantras using well-prepared caru, including for anātha Pitṛs.