Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

स्त्रियो देयास्त्रयोदश्यां भूतायां ज्ञानदो भवेत् । अमावास्यामनुप्राप्य सर्वदानानि दापयेत्

Transliteration

striyo deyāstrayodaśyāṃ bhūtāyāṃ jñānado bhavet | amāvāsyāmanuprāpya sarvadānāni dāpayet

Translation

Am dreizehnten Tithi (Trayodaśī), wenn es die Bhūtā-Tithi ist, soll man Frauen Gaben darbringen — dies wird zur Gabe der Erkenntnis. Und wenn Amāvāsyā (Neumondtag) eintritt, lasse man alle Arten von Almosen geben.

Word by Word

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• देयाः: should be given
• देयाः: Kriya-sadhya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: to be given); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicative)

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth (tithi)
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथिवाचकः

• भूतायाम्: on (the tithi called) Bhūtā
• भूतायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथिविशेष-पर्यायः (on the Bhūtā tithi)

• ज्ञानदः: giver of knowledge
• ज्ञानदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (ज्ञानं ददाति इति); कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (would become)

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथिवाचकः (new-moon day)

• अनुप्राप्य: having reached
• अनुप्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having reached/after attaining)

• सर्वदानानि: all gifts/charities
• सर्वदानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सर्वाणि दानानि)

• दापयेत्: should cause to be given
• दापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिचन्त-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual attribution within the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (questioner in adjacent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Prabhāsa, a pilgrim offers gifts to women on Trayodaśī—garments and food—then on Amāvāsyā organizes a large charitable distribution with rows of recipients, lamps, and donation pots under a dark-moon sky.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Amāvāsyā
• Trayodaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timely charity—especially on specific tithis—purifies intent and becomes a means to wisdom and merit in a sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised as a powerful field for dāna and other dharmic acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give gifts to women on Trayodaśī (Bhūtā tithi) and perform broad charity on Amāvāsyā.