Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

शूलभेदं तथा पुण्यं स्नानदानादितर्पणैः । भक्त्या ददाति यस्तत्र काञ्चनं गां महीं तिलान्

Transliteration

śūlabhedaṃ tathā puṇyaṃ snānadānāditarpaṇaiḥ | bhaktyā dadāti yastatra kāñcanaṃ gāṃ mahīṃ tilān

Translation

ศูลเภทะก็เป็นที่ให้บุญยิ่งนักด้วยการอาบน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์ การให้ทาน และการทำตัรปณะเป็นต้น ผู้ใดถวายด้วยภักดี ณ ที่นั้น—ทองคำ โค ที่ดิน หรือเมล็ดงา—ย่อมได้บุญใหญ่

Word by Word

• शूलभेदम्: Śūlabheda (holy place/act)
• शूलभेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलभेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—शूलस्य भेदः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

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

• स्नान-दान-आदि-तर्पणैः: by offerings such as bathing, giving, etc.
• स्नान-दान-आदि-तर्पणैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—स्नानं दानं च आदिः येषां तानि तर्पणानि (अर्थतः: स्नान-दानादि-तर्पण)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महीम्: land/earth (a plot of land)
• महीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तिलान्: sesame seeds
• तिलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence scene: pilgrims bathing at a ghāṭ, then offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands, then presenting gold, cow, land deed symbol, and sesame to recipients; Śūlabheda marker/trident emblem in background.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlabheda
• Dāna
• Snāna
• Tarpaṇa
• Kāñcana
• Go-dāna
• Bhū-dāna
• Tila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha merit is intensified by bhakti expressed through snāna, tarpaṇa, and generous dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda tīrtha is explicitly praised for its power to multiply the fruits of ritual acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing, libations, and giving gold, cows, land, and sesame as offerings/charity at the tīrtha.