Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 143

Devanagari script

दत्तं तप्तं हुतं जप्तमस्माकं विफलं गतम् । संप्राप्ता प्रेतयोनिस्तु सशल्याद्वादशीव्रतात्

Transliteration

dattaṃ taptaṃ hutaṃ japtamasmākaṃ viphalaṃ gatam | saṃprāptā pretayonistu saśalyādvādaśīvratāt

Translation

আমাদের দান, তপস্যা, হোম এবং জপ—সবই নিষ্ফল হয়ে গেছে; কারণ দোষযুক্ত (সশল্য) দ্বাদশী-ব্রত পালনের ফলে আমরা প্রেত-যোনি লাভ করেছি।

Word by Word

• दत्तम्: what was given (charity)
• दत्तम्: Karta (भाव/समाहार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) ‘दत्त’ (given), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समाहाररूपेण (our giving/charity)

• तप्तम्: austerity performed
• तप्तम्: Karta (भाव/समाहार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘तप्त’ (austerity performed), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हुतम्: sacrifice/oblation offered
• हुतम्: Karta (भाव/समाहार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘हुत’ (offering made), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जप्तम्: recitation done
• जप्तम्: Karta (भाव/समाहार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘जप्त’ (recitation done), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• विफलम्: fruitless
• विफलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दत्तं…जप्तम्)

• गतम्: has become
• गतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘गत’ (gone/turned out), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अत्र ‘अस्ति’ लुप्तः)

• संप्राप्ता: has been attained
• संप्राप्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘संप्राप्त’ (attained), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रेतयोनिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रेतयोनिः: the preta-state
• प्रेतयोनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारण/विरोध

• सशल्यात्: because of the flaw
• सशल्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), पञ्चमी (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘शल्येन सह’ इति समासार्थः; कारणे (due to defect)

• द्वादशीव्रतात्: from the Dvādaśī vow
• द्वादशीव्रतात्: Apadana (Source/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Pretāḥ (departed spirits)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Candraśarman (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pretas recount their past pious acts—charity, austerity, fire offerings, mantra recitation—shown as fading, ineffective flames and slipping rosary beads, symbolizing merit rendered void by a single defect in Dvādaśī observance.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious acts lose their merit when vows are performed with impurity, negligence, or harmful defects.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā Māhātmya context; the ensuing verses praise Gomati tīrtha as a remedy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Dvādaśī vrata is referenced, with a warning to avoid ‘saśalya’ (tainted) observance.