Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 200

Devanagari script

अर्चयेद्यस्तु गोविंदं गोप्रतारे हि मानवः । दशसौवर्णिकं पुण्यं गोप्रतारे प्रकथ्यते

Transliteration

arcayedyastu goviṃdaṃ gopratāre hi mānavaḥ | daśasauvarṇikaṃ puṇyaṃ gopratāre prakathyate

Translation

హే మానవా! గోప్రతార అనే పుణ్యతీర్థంలో ఎవడు గోవిందుని అర్చిస్తాడో, గోప్రతారలో ఆ అర్చన ఫలం పది స్వర్ణదాన సమాన పుణ్యమని ప్రకటించబడింది।

Word by Word

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Potential), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• गोविन्दम्: Govinda
• गोविन्दम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोप्रतारे: at Gopratāra (place)
• गोप्रतारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-प्रतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक (for/indeed)

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दशसौवर्णिकम्: worth ten gold pieces
• दशसौवर्णिकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-सौवर्णिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दशानां सौवर्णिकानां/दश-सुवर्ण-सम्बन्धि)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोप्रतारे: at Gopratāra
• गोप्रतारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-प्रतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकथ्यते: is declared/taught
• प्रकथ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive voice)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced, Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopratāra

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers flowers and lamp to Govinda at the Gopratāra ghāṭa shrine; a small altar by the river; priests and other devotees nearby; the idea of ‘ten gold pieces’ suggested symbolically (gold coins or radiant aureole).

Characters & Entities

• Govinda
• Gopratāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship offered at a consecrated place multiplies merit; devotion to Govinda at a famed tīrtha is praised as highly efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopratāra, a sacred ford/tīrtha associated with Ayodhyā’s holy landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Govinda-pūjā (worship of Govinda) performed specifically at the Gopratāra tīrtha.