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

“جس طرح گیاشِر کو آپ ہی نے پُنّیہ سے بھرپور بنایا، اسی طرح اس پاک مقام ‘شول بھید’ کو بھی بطور تیرتھ قائم کیا جائے۔”

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.