Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

हेमदानं प्रदातव्यं ब्राह्मणे वेदपारगे

Transliteration

hemadānaṃ pradātavyaṃ brāhmaṇe vedapārage

Translation

Man soll einem in den Veden kundigen Brahmanen eine Gabe aus Gold darbringen.

Word by Word

• hemadānam: gift of gold
• hemadānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hema (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• pradātavyam: should be given
• pradātavyam: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (दा धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be given’

• brāhmaṇe: to a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇe: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Dat/Loc, Singular)

• vedapārage: versed in the Vedas
• vedapārage: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + pāraga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Dat/Loc, Singular; adjective qualifying brāhmaṇe)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim audience (and Devī in surrounding address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers a small gold piece on a cloth to a serene Veda-knowing brāhmaṇa near the temple courtyard; the brāhmaṇa blesses the donor; temple flag and lamps in background.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Veda
• Hema-dāna (gold donation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and worship are completed by dāna—supporting sacred learning and righteous livelihood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the prescribed observances for the Mṛtyuñjayeśa visit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hema-dāna (donation of gold) to a Veda-versed Brāhmaṇa.