Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दद्याद्विप्रं समभ्यर्च्य वस्त्रालंकारभूषणैः । सप्तधान्ययुतां दद्याद्विष्णुर्मे प्रीयतामिति

Transliteration

dadyādvipraṃ samabhyarcya vastrālaṃkārabhūṣaṇaiḥ | saptadhānyayutāṃ dadyādviṣṇurme prīyatāmiti

Translation

Nachdem man einen Brahmanen ehrfürchtig mit Gewändern, Schmuck und Zierat geehrt hat, soll man eine Gabe zusammen mit den sieben Getreidearten darbringen und sprechen: „Möge Viṣṇu an mir Gefallen finden.“

Word by Word

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• vipram: a Brahmin
• vipram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• samabhyarcya: having honoured
• samabhyarcya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-abhi-√arc (अर्च् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = ‘having duly worshipped/honoured’

• vastra-alaṃkāra-bhūṣaṇaiḥ: with clothes, ornaments, and adornments
• vastra-alaṃkāra-bhūṣaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक) + alaṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्वसमासः (copulative)

• sapta-dhānya-yutām: endowed with seven (measures/types of) grains
• sapta-dhānya-yutām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या) + dhānya (प्रातिपदिक) + yutā (कृदन्त; √yuj युज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (possessing seven kinds/measure of grain); विशेषणम् (qualifying an implied ‘dakṣiṇām/śayyām/vastrādi-dakṣiṇām’ gift)

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• me: my/to me
• me: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्; enclitic form

• prīyatām: may (he) be pleased
• prīyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prī (प्री धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; भावे/आशीर्लिङ्गसदृश प्रयोगः = ‘may (he) be pleased’

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor ceremonially honors a brāhmaṇa with folded cloth, ornaments, and a tray of seven grains; the donor’s lips form the dedication to Viṣṇu, with a small Viṣṇu emblem or temple banner nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity offered with reverence and dedicated to Viṣṇu becomes an act of devotion that completes tīrtha-based dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s sacred setting, especially the Gomatī tīrtha context of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Honor a Brahmin with clothing/ornaments and give sapta-dhānya dāna, dedicating the act to Viṣṇu’s pleasure.