Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कोटिभिर्वेदविद्वद्भिर्गयायां पितृवत्सलैः । भोजितैर्यत्समाप्नोति तत्फलं दैत्यनायक

Transliteration

koṭibhirvedavidvadbhirgayāyāṃ pitṛvatsalaiḥ | bhojitairyatsamāpnoti tatphalaṃ daityanāyaka

Translation

يا قائدَ الدَّيْتيا: إن الثمرة التي تُنال بإطعامهم (هنا) هي بعينها الثمرة التي تُنال بإطعام ملايينَ من البراهمة العارفين بالڤيدا، المحبين للآباء والأجداد، في غايا (Gayā).

Word by Word

• कोटिभिः: by crores (of)
• कोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• वेदविद्वद्भिः: by Veda-knowers
• वेदविद्वद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + विद्वस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य विद्वांसः)

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• पितृवत्सलैः: affectionate to ancestors
• पितृवत्सलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ-वत्सल (प्रातिपदिक; पितृ + वत्सल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; विशेषणम् (वेदविद्वद्भिः)

• भोजितैः: having been fed
• भोजितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोजित (कृदन्त; √भुज्/भोज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (fed/caused to eat); विशेषणम् (वेदविद्वद्भिः)

• यत्: which (result)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• समाप्नोति: attains
• समाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) उपसर्गः सम्
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present Indicative, 3rd Person, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषणम् (फलम्)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

• दैत्यनायक: O leader of the Daityas
• दैत्यनायक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-नायक (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य + नायक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानां नायकः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (compared with Gayā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: daityanāyaka (leader of the Daityas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene: on one side, Dvārakā donors feed a small group; on the other, Gayā hosts vast rows of Veda-knowing brāhmaṇas; a luminous scale balances them as equal in merit.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Veda-vid
• Pitṛ
• Daitya-nāyaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dvārakā-based charity is exalted as equal to famed high-merit rites performed at Gayā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is glorified by comparison with Gayā, a renowned pitṛ-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed worthy recipients (contextually ascetics/holy persons) in Dvārakā; its fruit rivals major Gayā rites.