Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तस्माद्देशे च काले च सुपात्रे विधिना नरः । शुभार्जितं प्रयुञ्जीत श्रद्धया शाठ्यवर्जितः

Transliteration

tasmāddeśe ca kāle ca supātre vidhinā naraḥ | śubhārjitaṃ prayuñjīta śraddhayā śāṭhyavarjitaḥ

Translation

Darum soll der Mensch am rechten Ort und zur rechten Zeit, nach der gebührenden Vorschrift, sein rechtschaffen erworbenes Gut einem würdigen Empfänger darbringen—im Glauben und frei von Trug.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ अपादान (therefore/from that reason)

• देशे: in the proper place
• देशे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• काले: at the proper time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• सुपात्रे: in/for a worthy recipient
• सुपात्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सु-पात्र = उत्तमं पात्रम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

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

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• शुभार्जितम्: honestly/virtuously earned
• शुभार्जितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जित (कृदन्त; √अर्ज् धातु)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपदसमास (शुभेन अर्जितम्), भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (धन/द्रव्य)-विशेषण

• प्रयुञ्जीत: should employ/use
• प्रयुञ्जीत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण (with faith)

• शाठ्यवर्जितः: free from deceit
• शाठ्यवर्जितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त; √वृज्/वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शाठ्यं वर्जितः = शाठ्येन रहितः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नर-विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a sincere donor offers cleanly earned wealth to a serene, learned recipient at an auspicious moment; the scene is orderly—ritual vessels, witnesses, and a calm sacred atmosphere—contrasting with deceit-free clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes truly dharmic when it is done at the right time and place, to a worthy recipient, with faith and without hypocrisy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region) as presented in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription for dāna: give lawfully earned wealth according to proper procedure, considering deśa (place), kāla (time), and supātra (worthy recipient).