Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

गयाशिरो यथा पुण्यं कृतं युष्माभिरेव च । तथैवेदं प्रकर्तव्यं शूलभेदं च पावनम्

Transliteration

gayāśiro yathā puṇyaṃ kṛtaṃ yuṣmābhireva ca | tathaivedaṃ prakartavyaṃ śūlabhedaṃ ca pāvanam

Translation

“ดังที่คยาเศียรอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ได้เป็นที่ก่อบุญด้วยพระองค์ทั้งหลายเอง ฉันใด สถานที่ชำระบาปนี้—ศูลเภท—ก็ควรถูกสถาปนาเป็นทีรถะอันบริสุทธิ์ฉันนั้น”

Word by Word

• गयाशिरः: Gayaśiras (the head/peak at Gayā)
• गयाशिरः: Karta/Upamana (Topic/उपमान-आधार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गयायाः शिरः)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as, just as)

• पुण्यम्: merit; holy (thing)
• पुण्यम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृतम्: done, made
• कृतम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युष्माभिः: by you (all)
• युष्माभिः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus, likewise)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: should be done
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be done’

• शूलभेदम्: the piercing/splitting of the trident
• शूलभेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शूलस्य भेदः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (शूलभेदम्)

Speaker

Citrasena (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tridevas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Citrasena gestures to the sacred spot ‘Śūlabheda’, invoking Gayāśiras; imagery can juxtapose a distant Gayā hill/śrāddha scene with the present site being consecrated by Tridevas; a triśūla mark signifies ‘śūla-bheda’.

Characters & Entities

• Gayāśiras
• Śūlabheda
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is affirmed through divine consecration and the recognition of its purifying merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda, praised as a purifying tīrtha comparable to Gayāśiras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies consecration/establishment of the tīrtha; specific rites are not detailed in this line.