Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

एतेषामेव सर्वेषामिदानीं श्राद्धमाचर । गत्वा गयाशिरः पुण्यं येन मुक्तिः प्रजायते

Transliteration

eteṣāmeva sarveṣāmidānīṃ śrāddhamācara | gatvā gayāśiraḥ puṇyaṃ yena muktiḥ prajāyate

Translation

“اب اِن سب (مرحومین) کے لیے شرادھ ادا کرو، اور پھر پُنّیہ گَیاشِر جاؤ، جس سے موکش یعنی نجات حاصل ہوتی ہے۔”

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Emphasis adjunct
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषणं (qualifying ‘एतेषाम्’)

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Kala (Time adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आचर: perform
• आचर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः: आ-

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action adjunct)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• गयाशिरः: Gayāśiras (Gayā’s head; sacred place)
• गयाशिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: गयायाः शिरः (place-name)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘गयाशिरः’

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; साधनवाचक

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises, is produced
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; उपसर्गः: प्र-

Speaker

Preta (liberated) instructing the Śūdra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayāśiras

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The liberated being instructs the Śūdra: perform śrāddha for all departed, then journey to Gayāśiras—depicted as a sacred hill/shrine landscape associated with pitṛ rites.

Characters & Entities

• śrāddha
• Gayāśiras
• mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Care for the departed through śrāddha and pilgrimage is upheld as a direct dhārmic means leading toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayāśiras is explicitly praised as a supremely meritorious place connected with mukti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha for the departed; additionally, undertake pilgrimage to Gayāśiras for the fruit of liberation.