Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अहोरात्रोषितो भूत्वा अश्वमेधफलं लभेत् । पिण्डदानं तु यः कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप

Transliteration

ahorātroṣito bhūtvā aśvamedhaphalaṃ labhet | piṇḍadānaṃ tu yaḥ kuryāttasmiṃstīrthe narādhipa

Translation

اگر کوئی وہاں ایک پورا دن اور رات قیام کرے تو اشومیدھ یَجْن کا پھل پاتا ہے۔ اور اے نرادھپ، جو کوئی اس تیرتھ میں پِنڈ دان کرے—

Word by Word

• अहोरात्रोषितः: having stayed for a day and night
• अहोरात्रोषितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहोरात्र + उषित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); अहोरात्रे उषितः (locative-tatpurusha sense: having stayed for a day and night); उष् (धातु) क्त (past participle)

• भूत्वा: having become/being
• भूत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (fruit of the Aśvamedha)

• लभेत्: would obtain/should obtain
• लभेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपदम्

• पिण्डदानम्: piṇḍa-offering (funerary oblation)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष (offering of piṇḍa)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

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

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• तीर्थे: in the pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• नराधिप: O king
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष (lord of men)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced); addressed listener: king (narādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meghanāda (Garjana) Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa/rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim camped by the ghat through day and night—lamp-lit riverbank at dusk, then moonlit vigil—followed by piṇḍa offerings on darbha near water, with priests chanting and ancestors symbolically receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Garjana/Meghanāda Tīrtha
• Aśvamedha
• Piṇḍa-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage disciplines—staying mindfully at a tīrtha and serving ancestors—can yield great sacrificial merit when done with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Garjana/Meghanāda Tīrtha in the Revā (Narmadā) Māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A full day-night observance at the tīrtha and piṇḍa-dāna (ancestral oblations) as a Śrāddha-related rite.