Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

बहुभ्यो न प्रदेयानि गौर्गृहं शयनं स्त्रियः । विभक्ता दक्षिणा ह्येषा दातारं नोपतिष्ठति

Transliteration

bahubhyo na pradeyāni gaurgṛhaṃ śayanaṃ striyaḥ | vibhaktā dakṣiṇā hyeṣā dātāraṃ nopatiṣṭhati

Translation

Eine Kuh, ein Haus, ein Bett und eine Ehefrau soll man nicht vielen geben, indem man sie unter mehrere teilt. Denn diese dakṣiṇā, wenn sie aufgeteilt wird, steht dem Geber nicht wirklich bei und bringt ihm keinen wahren Nutzen.

Word by Word

• bahubhyaḥ: to many (people)
• bahubhyaḥ: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Dat./Abl.), बहुवचन; ‘to many’ (recipient sense)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation)

• pradeyāni: to be given (should be given)
• pradeyāni: Vidhi/Pratiṣedha (विधि/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + deya (कृदन्त; √dā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: to be given) — प्रतिषेधेन ‘not to be given’

• gauḥ: a cow
• gauḥ: Karma (कर्म)/Pradhāna (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gṛham: a house
• gṛham: Karma (कर्म)/Pradhāna (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śayanam: a bed
• śayanam: Karma (कर्म)/Pradhāna (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• striyaḥ: women
• striyaḥ: Karma (कर्म)/Pradhāna (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• vibhaktā: divided (among many)
• vibhaktā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vibhakta (कृदन्त; √bhaj with vi-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (divided/distributed)

• dakṣiṇā: the gift/fee (dakṣiṇā)
• dakṣiṇā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• eṣā: this
• eṣā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• dātāram: the giver
• dātāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation)

• upatiṣṭhati: attends/benefits (stands by)
• upatiṣṭhati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + sthā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor considers distributing a single cow/household gift among multiple claimants; a priestly advisor indicates ‘one recipient’ with a raised finger; the cow stands garlanded, emphasizing indivisible sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Go (cow)
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain gifts are dharmically meaningful only when given whole and responsibly; fragmented giving can nullify intended merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The counsel is embedded in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, where righteous charity is presented as part of Prabhāsa’s sacred discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not distribute (split) certain major gifts—especially go-dāna—among multiple recipients; give them as complete offerings.