Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

पिण्डदानाद्गयातुल्यं लप्स्यंते फलमुत्तमम् । पुण्यदानफलं चात्र संख्याहीनं द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

piṇḍadānādgayātulyaṃ lapsyaṃte phalamuttamam | puṇyadānaphalaṃ cātra saṃkhyāhīnaṃ dvijottama

Translation

การถวายปิณฑะ ณ ที่นี้ ย่อมได้ผลอันประเสริฐสูงสุด เสมอด้วยที่คยา และผลบุญแห่งทานอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ในสถานที่นี้ โอ พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ ย่อมเหลือคณานับ

Word by Word

• पिण्डदानात्: from piṇḍa-offering
• पिण्डदानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पिण्डस्य दानम्’)

• गयातुल्यम्: equal to (the merit of) Gayā
• गयातुल्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गया + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (फलम् इत्यस्य); उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (‘गयया तुल्यम्’)

• लप्स्यन्ते: will obtain
• लप्स्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (लप्स्यते/लप्स्यन्ते)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (फलम् इत्यस्य)

• पुण्यदानफलम्: the fruit of meritorious giving
• पुण्यदानफलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + दान + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘पुण्यदानस्य फलम्’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• संख्याहीनम्: countless, beyond number
• संख्याहीनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संख्या + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुण्यदानफलम् इत्यस्य); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘संख्याया हीनम्’ = numberless)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Pulastya (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māmuhrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a stone ghat beside a calm kund, a householder offers piṇḍas of rice and sesame with darbha grass, while a priest guides mantras; ancestors are suggested as subtle luminous forms receiving offerings; nearby, gifts of food and cloth are distributed.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Piṇḍadāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic tradition elevates certain tīrthas as spiritually potent—ancestral offerings and charity there yield extraordinary, immeasurable merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The local Arbuda Khaṇḍa tīrtha under discussion is praised as ‘Gayā-like’ for piṇḍadāna efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍadāna (ancestral offering) and puṇya-dāna (charitable gifting) performed at this tīrtha.