Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा सरस्वत्यां पिंडदानं ददाति यः । गयाकोटिगुणं पुण्यं वैशाख्यां प्राप्नुयान्नरः

Transliteration

tatra snātvā sarasvatyāṃ piṃḍadānaṃ dadāti yaḥ | gayākoṭiguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ vaiśākhyāṃ prāpnuyānnaraḥ

Translation

ਉੱਥੇ ਸਰਸਵਤੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਨਾਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਜੋ ਪੁਰਖ ਪਿਤਰਾਂ ਲਈ ਪਿੰਡਦਾਨ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਵੈਸ਼ਾਖ ਮਹੀਨੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਗਯਾ ਦੇ ਪੁੰਨ ਤੋਂ ਕਰੋੜ ਗੁਣਾ ਪੁੰਨ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• सरस्वत्याम्: in (the river) Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पिण्डदानम्: offering of funeral rice-balls (piṇḍa-offering)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पिण्डस्य दानम्)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक relative pronoun

• गया: of Gayā
• गया: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• कोटि: of a crore; ten million
• कोटि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• गुणम्: times; multiplied by
• गुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; समासोत्तरपद (गया-कोटि-गुणम्)

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

• वैशाख्याम्: in (the month of) Vaiśākha
• वैशाख्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशाखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कालवाचक (time-locative)

• प्राप्नुयात्: would attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/सम्भावना-आज्ञा), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camasodbheda Sarasvatī-tīrtha

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the Sarasvatī bank performs snāna, then offers piṇḍas on darbha grass; nearby priests guide rites; subtle ancestral figures receive offerings; the month of Vaiśākha suggested by bright sun and flowering trees.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (river)
• Piṇḍadāna
• Pitṛs (ancestors, implied)
• Gayā
• Vaiśākha (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving the ancestors through piṇḍadāna at a sanctified tīrtha, especially in an auspicious time, multiplies merit and supports dharmic continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī bathing-place at/near Camasodbheda in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in Sarasvatī and piṇḍadāna (ancestral offering), particularly during the month of Vaiśākha.