Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

मध्याह्नः खड्गपात्रं तु तथान्ये कालकम्बलाः । रूप्यं दर्भांस्तिला गावो दौहित्रश्चाष्टमः स्मृतः

Transliteration

madhyāhnaḥ khaḍgapātraṃ tu tathānye kālakambalāḥ | rūpyaṃ darbhāṃstilā gāvo dauhitraścāṣṭamaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

Zur Mittagszeit werden das ‘khaḍga-pātra’ (ein Horngefäß) und ebenso die anderen—kāla-kambala, Silber, Darbha-Gras, Sesam, Kühe und der dauhitra—hier als die acht (glückverheißenden Hilfen) in Erinnerung gehalten.

Word by Word

• मध्याह्नः: midday (the midday period)
• मध्याह्नः: Karta (as enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सूचीकरणे (as item)

• खड्गपात्रम्: a sword-like vessel (khaḍga-pātra)
• खड्गपात्रम्: Karta (as enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; खड्गस्य पात्रम् (a vessel of/like a sword)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb; ‘likewise’)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (as enumerated group)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (others)

• कालकम्बलाः: black blankets
• कालकम्बलाः: Karta (as enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + कम्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कालः कम्बलः इव/कालवर्णः कम्बलः (black blankets)

• रूप्यम्: silver
• रूप्यम्: Karta (as enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• दर्भान्: darbha grasses
• दर्भान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचनम्

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (as enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (as enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• दौहित्रः: daughter’s son (grandson)
• दौहित्रः: Karta (as enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौहित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अष्टमः: the eighth
• अष्टमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम् (ordinal)

• स्मृतः: is said/considered
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is said/remembered’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual spread of eight items is displayed: midday sun overhead; a horn-vessel (khaḍga-pātra), a dark woolen blanket (kāla-kambala), silver, darbha, sesame, a cow with calf, and a young grandson (dauhitra) present as the eighth; priests prepare tarpaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Madhyāhna
• Kutapa
• Darbha
• Tilāḥ
• Gāvaḥ
• Rūpya
• Khaḍgapātra
• Kālakambala
• Dauhitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is strengthened by specific sanctifiers—time, purity-items, and gifts—so the rite becomes protected and fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the tradition details the ‘Kutapa’ supports for śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use the Kutapa set: midday and prescribed items such as darbha, sesame, cows, silver, and specific ritual vessels/cloths.