Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

गोष्पदे पिण्डदानेन यत्फलं लभते नरः । न तच्छक्यं मया वक्तुं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि

Transliteration

goṣpade piṇḍadānena yatphalaṃ labhate naraḥ | na tacchakyaṃ mayā vaktuṃ kalpakoṭiśatairapi

Translation

گوشپد میں پِنڈ دان سے انسان جو پھل پاتا ہے، وہ ایسا ہے کہ میں اسے کروڑوں کَلپوں میں بھی بیان نہیں کر سکتا۔

Word by Word

• गोष्पदे: in a cow’s hoofprint
• गोष्पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + स्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पिण्डदानेन: by the piṇḍa-offering
• पिण्डदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘by piṇḍa-offering’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

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

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लभते
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद: ‘obtains’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negator (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; निर्देशक (that)

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक् (धातु) → शक्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (potential/gerundive): ‘possible’

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्तुम्: to describe
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → वक्तुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): ‘to say/speak’

• कल्पकोटिशतैः: even with hundreds of crores of kalpas
• कल्पकोटिशतैः: Karana (Instrument/measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प + कोटि + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘by hundreds of crores of kalpas’ (instrumental of measure)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti), deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style in Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goṣpada

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-listener in Prabhāsa-māhātmya (unspecified in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a marked sacred spot called Goṣpada, a pilgrim offers piṇḍas; the atmosphere suggests immeasurable unseen merit—celestial scribes pause, and the sky opens subtly, indicating fruits beyond narration.

Characters & Entities

• Goṣpada
• Piṇḍa-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some tīrthas confer merit so vast that it is said to be beyond ordinary description; this inspires faith and reverence in ancestral rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Goṣpada, a sacred spot within the Prabhāsakṣetra sphere of pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa-dāna—offering piṇḍas for the welfare and upliftment of the pitṛs (ancestors).