Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 195

Devanagari script

गोप्रताराभिधे तीर्थे त्रिलोकीविश्रुते द्विज । दत्त्वान्नं च विधानेन न स भूयोऽभिजायते

Transliteration

gopratārābhidhe tīrthe trilokīviśrute dvija | dattvānnaṃ ca vidhānena na sa bhūyo'bhijāyate

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജാ! ത്രിലോകപ്രസിദ്ധമായ ഗോപ്രതാര എന്ന തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ വിധിപൂർവ്വം അന്നദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ വീണ്ടും ജന്മിക്കുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• गोप्रताराभिधे: in (the) named ‘Gopratārā’
• गोप्रताराभिधे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोप्रतारा (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिध (धातु/कृदन्त-आधार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘गोप्रतारा’ इति नाम्नि ‘अभिध’ (=नामधेय) इत्यर्थे—‘गोप्रताराभिध’ = गोप्रतारा-नामक (locative agreeing with tīrthe)

• तीर्थे: in the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• त्रिलोकीविश्रुते: renowned in the three worlds
• त्रिलोकीविश्रुते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिलोकी (प्रातिपदिक) + विश्रुत (कृदन्त; √श्रु धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘त्रिलोकी-विश्रुत’ = त्रिलोकीषु विश्रुतः (well-known in the three worlds), tīrthe इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having given’

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विधानेन: by (proper) procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/प्रकारार्थे (by the prescribed procedure)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

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

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुनरर्थक/पुनः इत्यर्थे अव्यय (again, further)

• अभिजायते: is born (again)
• अभिजायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्गः ‘अभि-’ (is born again)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style—Brahmā to Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopratāra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (explicitly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the Sarayū ghāṭ at Gopratāra, a donor distributes cooked food to Brāhmaṇas and pilgrims seated in rows; the river glows behind, and a subtle upward path of light symbolizes release from rebirth.

Characters & Entities

• Gopratāra Tīrtha
• Anna-dāna
• Triloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a supremely sanctified place, properly performed charity (especially feeding) becomes a direct cause for liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopratāra Tīrtha, described as famous across the three worlds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anna-dāna (food-giving/feeding), performed vidhānena—according to proper injunctions.