Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तत्रास्थीनि विलीयन्ते पिण्डदानेऽक्षया गतिः । यत्किंचिद्दीयते तत्र तद्धि कोटिगुणं भवेत्

Transliteration

tatrāsthīni vilīyante piṇḍadāne'kṣayā gatiḥ | yatkiṃciddīyate tatra taddhi koṭiguṇaṃ bhavet

Translation

ณ ที่นั้น แม้กระดูกก็กล่าวกันว่ายังละลายได้ และด้วยการถวายปิณฑทาน ย่อมบรรลุคติอันไม่เสื่อมแก่บรรพชน ของถวายใด ๆ ที่มอบ ณ ที่นั้น ย่อมเป็นบุญทวีคูณถึงโกฏิเท่า

Word by Word

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

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; Nominative

• विलीयन्ते: dissolve
• विलीयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; passive/intransitive sense 'dissolve'

• पिण्डदाने: in the offering of piṇḍa (funeral oblation)
• पिण्डदाने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पिण्डस्य दानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative

• अक्षया: imperishable
• अक्षया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with 'गतिः'

• गतिः: attainment/destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Relative pronoun (correlative with 'तत्')

• किंचित्: anything (at all)
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Indefinite pronoun

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Correlative pronoun

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

• कोटिगुणम्: a crore-fold
• कोटिगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कोट्या गुणः = कोटिगुणः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• भवेत्: would become/is said to become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapitīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank, descendants perform piṇḍa-dāna and tarpaṇa; the motif of bones dissolving is shown symbolically as ash/white fragments merging into the sacred waters; gifts offered to brāhmaṇas multiply in radiant counters.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Kapitīrtha (context)
• Piṇḍa-dāna
• Dāna (charity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places amplify dharmic acts: ancestral rites and charity performed at a tīrtha yield enduring and multiplied spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha previously established in the narrative—Kapitīrtha on the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform piṇḍa-dāna (funerary offerings) and give dāna (charity) at the tīrtha for imperishable and multiplied merit.