Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अतिथये प्रशान्ताय सीदते चाहिताग्नये । श्रोत्रियाय तथैकापि दत्ता बहुगुणा भवेत्

Transliteration

atithaye praśāntāya sīdate cāhitāgnaye | śrotriyāya tathaikāpi dattā bahuguṇā bhavet

Translation

حتى بقرةٌ واحدة، إذا وُهِبت لضيفٍ ساكن النفس، أو لمحتاجٍ، أو لآهِتاغْنِي (حافظِ النيران المقدّسة)، أو لِشروتريا—براهمنٍ متضلّعٍ في الفيدا—غدتْ تلك الصدقةُ مضاعفةَ الثواب.

Word by Word

• atithaye: to a guest
• atithaye: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• praśāntāya: calm/peaceful
• praśāntāya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praśānta (कृदन्त; √śam)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त विशेषण

• sīdate: sits down/approaches (is devoted)
• sīdate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sad (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• āhitāgnaye: to one who maintains the sacred fires (āhitāgni)
• āhitāgnaye: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āhita + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आहितोऽग्निः यस्य सः (आहिताग्नि) इति बहुव्रीहि-प्रातिपदिक, तस्मै (dative)

• śrotriyāya: to a learned Vedic scholar
• śrotriyāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrotriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ekā: one (single)
• ekā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• dattā: given
• dattā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: datta (कृदन्त; √dā)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (given) — (गौः implied)

• bahuguṇā: many-times (highly) meritorious
• bahuguṇā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहवो गुणाः यस्याः सा (many-fold/with many merits)

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Characters & Entities

• Āhitāgni
• Śrotriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a small gift becomes vast in merit when offered to the truly deserving—especially guests, the needy, and Veda-rooted practitioners.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the māhātmya emphasizes intensified merit through correct dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna to specific recipients—atithi, the distressed, āhitāgni, and śrotriya—is said to multiply the fruit of the gift.