Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

बलिना चैव दानानि दत्तान्यागत्य कार्तिके । हरिश्चन्द्रेण विधिना नलेन नहुषेण च

Transliteration

balinā caiva dānāni dattānyāgatya kārtike | hariścandreṇa vidhinā nalena nahuṣeṇa ca

Translation

وبالي أيضًا، إذ قدم إلى هنا في شهر كارتِيكا، بذل عطايا الصدقة؛ وكذلك هريشْشاندرا على وفق الشعائر المقرّرة، ومعه نالا ونهُوشا أيضًا.

Word by Word

• बलिना: by Bali
• बलिना: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): emphasis ‘indeed/only’

• दानानि: gifts, donations
• दानानि: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• दत्तानि: given
• दत्तानि: Kriyā (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि ‘were given’ (दानानि)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) ‘having come’

• कार्तिके: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्तिके: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; मास-नाम

• हरिश्चन्द्रेण: by Hariścandra
• हरिश्चन्द्रेण: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिश्चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विधिना: by the proper method, according to rule
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Means/manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• नलेन: by Nala
• नलेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• नहुषेण: by Nahuṣa
• नहुषेण: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नहुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred coastal/riverine Prabhāsa landscape with a tīrtha-ghāṭa; royal figures (Bali, Hariścandra, Nala, Nahuṣa) arriving in Kārtika, offering gifts to brāhmaṇas under ritual canopies; lamps and autumnal clarity.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Kārtika
• Hariścandra
• Nala
• Nahuṣa
• Vastrāpatha
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna performed in a sacred place and sacred time (Kārtika) becomes exemplary dharma, followed even by famed kings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa, presented as a renowned venue for Kārtika dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) in the month of Kārtika, and doing so vidhinā—according to proper ritual procedure.