Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विशेषतः प्रदेयानि फलानि रसवन्ति च । दम्पत्योर्भोजनं दद्यान्मिष्टान्नेन द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

viśeṣataḥ pradeyāni phalāni rasavanti ca | dampatyorbhojanaṃ dadyānmiṣṭānnena dvijottamāḥ

Translation

وعلى وجه الخصوص تُقدَّم ثمارٌ غزيرةُ العصير حلوةُ المذاق؛ وليُقدِّم خِيارُ ذوي الميلادين طعامًا لزوجين، بأطعمةٍ مختارةٍ وحلوى طيبة.

Word by Word

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (especially)

• प्रदेयानि: should be given
• प्रदेयानि: Vidheyavastu (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तव्यत्/अनीयर्-प्रायः ‘देय’ (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विधेय (to be given)

• फलानि: fruits
• फलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन (neuter nom/acc plural)

• रसवन्ति: juicy, full of flavor
• रसवन्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रसवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘फलानि’ (agreeing with phalāni)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• दम्पत्योः: of the husband and wife (the couple)
• दम्पत्योः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री-द्वन्द्वार्थक-युगलवाचक, षष्ठी (6), द्विवचन (genitive dual: of the couple)

• भोजनम्: meal, feeding
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• मिष्टान्नेन: with sweet food/delicacies
• मिष्टान्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिष्ट + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: मिष्टम् अन्नम् इति (sweet food); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (instrumental singular: with)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः (best among the twice-born); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual attribution within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-uttamāḥ / dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims in Dvārakā offer baskets of ripe, juice-filled fruits and serve a sweet meal to a seated couple, with temple spires and sea breeze in the background; the act is framed as devotional hospitality.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna
• Phala (fruits)
• Dampatī (couple)
• Miṣṭānna (sweet food)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit at a tīrtha is completed by generosity—especially nourishing gifts and hospitality that uphold social and ritual dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The charity guidelines belong to the Rukmiṇī-hrada/Bhṛgu-tīrtha observance within the Dvārakā-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give juicy fruits and perform feeding (bhojana/annadāna), including a sweet meal offered to a couple.