Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

गयायां पिंडदानेन प्रयागे ह्यस्थिपातने । तत्पुण्यं समवाप्नोति पक्षांते श्राद्धकृन्नरः

Transliteration

gayāyāṃ piṃḍadānena prayāge hyasthipātane | tatpuṇyaṃ samavāpnoti pakṣāṃte śrāddhakṛnnaraḥ

Translation

Dengan mempersembahkan piṇḍa di Gayā dan menghanyutkan tulang-belulang di Prayāga, seseorang memperoleh pahala yang sama; demikian juga, orang yang melaksanakan śrāddha pada penghujung paruh bulan (di sini) meraih buah yang serupa.

Word by Word

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पिण्डदानेन: by offering a piṇḍa (funeral oblation)
• पिण्डदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पिण्डस्य दानम्’)

• प्रयागे: in Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/कारणार्थक अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• अस्थिपातने: at the casting of bones (immersion)
• अस्थिपातने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थिपातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘अस्थीनां पातनम्’)

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

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समवाप्नोति: attains/obtains
• समवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पक्षान्ते: at the end of the fortnight
• पक्षान्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पक्षस्य अन्तः’)

• श्राद्धकृत्: one who performs śrāddha
• श्राद्धकृत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्राद्ध + कृ (धातु) → कृत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (कर्तरि कृत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘श्राद्धं करोति’)

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (pakṣānta śrāddha at Gomati-samudra-saṅgama)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych composition: (1) Gayā—piṇḍa-dāna under sacred trees by the Phalgu; (2) Prayāga—bones immersed at the Triveṇī; (3) Dvārakā—śrāddha at the Gomati-ocean confluence at pakṣānta, with a visual caption of ‘same merit’.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Piṇḍa-dāna
• Prayāga
• Asthi-pātana
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas equate tīrtha-fruits to inspire pilgrimage: one holy rite at a praised site can match famed rites elsewhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The implied praised site is the Gomatī–Udadhisaṅgama in Dvārakā Māhātmya, compared in merit to Gayā and Prayāga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at the end of Pitṛpakṣa; it is said to yield merit comparable to piṇḍa-dāna at Gayā and asthi-pātana at Prayāga.