Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

रत्नधेनुहिरण्याश्वसप्तसागर एव च । महाभूतघटो विश्वचक्रकल्पलताभिधः

Transliteration

ratnadhenuhiraṇyāśvasaptasāgara eva ca | mahābhūtaghaṭo viśvacakrakalpalatābhidhaḥ

Translation

রত্নধেনু, হিরণ্যাশ্ব ও সপ্তসাগর; তদুপরি মহাভূতঘট, বিশ্বচক্র ও কল্পলতা—এই নামে পরিচিত দানগুলিও মহাদান।

Word by Word

• रत्नधेनु: jewel-cow (a gift-name)
• रत्नधेनु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (feminine nominative singular)

• हिरण्याश्व: golden horse (a gift-name)
• हिरण्याश्व: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (masculine nominative singular)

• सप्तसागर: the seven oceans (as a gift-name)
• सप्तसागर: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + सागर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (masculine nominative singular)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

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

• महाभूतघटः: pot of the great elements (a gift-name)
• महाभूतघटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभूत + घट (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (masculine nominative singular)

• विश्वचक्रकल्पलताभिधः: named 'Viśvacakra-kalpa-latā'
• विश्वचक्रकल्पलताभिधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + चक्र + कल्प + लता + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (masculine nominative singular); विशेषण (adjectival epithet)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ritual display of named mahādānas: a jeweled cow (Ratnadhenu), a golden horse (Hiraṇyāśva), seven ocean-symbol vessels (Saptasāgara), a pot representing five great elements (Mahābhūtaghaṭa), a universal wheel emblem (Viśvacakra), and a wish-fulfilling creeper motif (Kalpalatā).

Characters & Entities

• Ratnadhenu
• Hiraṇyāśva
• Saptasāgara
• Mahābhūtaghaṭa
• Viśvacakra
• Kalpalatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great gifts are framed as cosmic-symbolic offerings, turning material giving into a religious act aligned with universal order (dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa kṣetra, where such dānas are especially praised in the surrounding teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Enumeration of additional mahādānas to be offered as part of tīrtha-based merit-making.