Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

प्रभासे नृपतिर्दद्या न्महादानानि षोडश । धान्यरत्नगुडस्वर्णतिलकार्पासशर्कराः

Transliteration

prabhāse nṛpatirdadyā nmahādānāni ṣoḍaśa | dhānyaratnaguḍasvarṇatilakārpāsaśarkarāḥ

Translation

في برابهاسا ينبغي للملك أن يبذل «المها-دان» الستة عشر—كالحبوب، والجواهر، والجُود (سكر القصب المتجمّد)، والذهب، والسمسم، والقطن، والسكر، ونحو ذلك.

Word by Word

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (masculine locative singular)

• नृपतिः: the king
• नृपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (masculine nominative singular)

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

• महादानानि: great gifts
• महादानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + दान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; (neuter accusative plural)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; अत्र 'महादानानि' इति नपुंसक-द्वितीया-बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम् (numeral adjective: sixteen)

• धान्य: grain
• धान्य: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (neuter nominative singular)

• रत्न: jewel
• रत्न: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (neuter nominative singular)

• गुड: jaggery
• गुड: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (masculine nominative singular)

• स्वर्ण: gold
• स्वर्ण: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (neuter nominative singular)

• तिल: sesame
• तिल: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (masculine nominative singular)

• कार्पास: cotton
• कार्पास: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (masculine nominative singular)

• शर्कराः: sugars/sugar
• शर्कराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्करा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; (feminine nominative plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king at Prabhāsa, near the sea and sacred precincts, distributes the ‘sixteen great gifts’: heaps of grain, gold, sesame, cotton, jaggery, sugar, and jewels to brāhmaṇas and pilgrims; Somnātha’s presence is implied by the kṣetra’s aura.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Nṛpati (king)
• Ṣoḍaśa mahādāna
• Dhānya
• Ratna
• Guḍa
• Svarṇa
• Tila
• Kārpāsa
• Śarkarā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rulers especially uphold dharma through generous, regulated giving—made more meritorious when performed at a powerful tīrtha like Prabhāsa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A king is enjoined to perform the ṣoḍaśa-mahādāna (sixteen great gifts), including staple and valuable items.