Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

हेमभारसहस्रैस्तु रविवारे रविग्रहे । कुरुक्षेत्रे यदाप्नोति गजाश्वरथदानतः

Transliteration

hemabhārasahasraistu ravivāre ravigrahe | kurukṣetre yadāpnoti gajāśvarathadānataḥ

Translation

Das Verdienst, das man in Kurukṣetra—an einem Sonntag, während einer Sonnenfinsternis—durch das Verschenken von Elefanten, Pferden und Wagen erlangt (wird hier als Vergleichsmaß genannt).

Word by Word

• हेमभारसहस्रैः: with thousands of loads of gold
• हेमभारसहस्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम + भार + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विशेषार्थ/विरोधार्थ

• रविवारे: on Sunday
• रविवारे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रविवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रविग्रहे: at the Sun’s eclipse/occultation (solar eclipse)
• रविग्रहे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: in Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: that which; whatever (fruit)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative)

• आप्नोति: obtains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• गजाश्वरथदानतः: from (the merit of) giving elephants, horses, and chariots
• गजाश्वरथदानतः: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + अश्व + रथ + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दानम् implied), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (from the act of giving)

Speaker

Śrī Prahlāda (contextual continuation; comparative phala statement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (explicitly addressed in nearby verses; audience context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast Kurukṣetra plain under a darkened eclipse-sky; pilgrims bathe and priests receive grand gifts—elephants, horses, and chariots—while the sun is veiled.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Ravi (Sun)
• Solar eclipse (ravigraha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas rank sacred times and places to inspire dāna; extraordinary occasions like eclipses at famed kṣetras yield immense merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra is cited as a benchmark tīrtha (in a passage ultimately praising Dwārakā/Gomatī through comparison).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna during a solar eclipse on Sunday at Kurukṣetra—specifically gifts of elephants, horses, and chariots.