Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तत्र हेमरथा देयो ब्राह्मणे वेदपारगे । विधिना शिवमुद्दिश्य यात्रायुतफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

tatra hemarathā deyo brāhmaṇe vedapārage | vidhinā śivamuddiśya yātrāyutaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

সেখানে বেদপারগ ব্রাহ্মণকে স্বর্ণরথ দান করা উচিত; বিধিপূর্বক শিবকে উদ্দেশ্য করে করলে দশ হাজার তীর্থযাত্রার সমান ফল লাভ হয়।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• हेमरथः: a golden chariot
• हेमरथः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (हेमस्य रथः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देयः: should be given
• देयः: Kriyā (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त; देय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयार्थः (to be given)

• ब्राह्मणे: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सम्प्रदान)

• वेदपारगे: versed in the Veda
• वेदपारगे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य पारगः); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ब्राह्मणे इति विशेषणम्

• विधिना: by proper procedure
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रकार/करण-अर्थे (according to rule/by proper rite)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उद्देश्यम् (object of intention)

• उद्दिश्य: intending (for)
• उद्दिश्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्+दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); 'उद्दिश्य' = 'having intended/aiming at'

• यात्रायुतफलम्: the fruit equal to ten-thousand pilgrimages
• यात्रायुतफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (अयुतं फलम् यात्रायाः/यात्रासम्बन्धि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hiraṇyā (context) / Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ceremonial gifting of a golden chariot to a Veda-learned Brāhmaṇa near a Śiva shrine; donor performs saṅkalpa before a liṅga; attendants and ritual fire present; the chariot gleams as a symbol of hema-ratha-dāna.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brāhmaṇa
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual charity becomes supremely efficacious when done by rule, to the worthy, and dedicated to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hiraṇyā tīrtha within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a place where dāna yields extraordinary yātrā-merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hema-ratha dāna (gift of a golden chariot) to a Veda-proficient brāhmaṇa, performed vidhinā and dedicated to Śiva.