Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

नाभागेनांबरीषाद्यैः कृतं कर्म सुदुष्करम् । दत्त्वा दानान्यनेकानि गजा गावो हया रथाः

Transliteration

nābhāgenāṃbarīṣādyaiḥ kṛtaṃ karma suduṣkaram | dattvā dānānyanekāni gajā gāvo hayā rathāḥ

Translation

Nabhāga, Ambārīṣa und andere vollbrachten ein äußerst schwer zu vollbringendes Werk—indem sie vielerlei Gaben spendeten: Elefanten, Kühe, Pferde und Wagen.

Word by Word

• नाभागेन: by Nābhāga
• नाभागेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अंबरीषाद्यैः: by Ambariṣa and others
• अंबरीषाद्यैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंबरीष + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘अंबरीष-आदि’ = ‘Ambariṣa and others’ (आदि-तत्पुरुष/समाहार)

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Kriyā (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘was done’

• कर्म: deed, act
• कर्म: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्म)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) ‘having given’

• दानानि: gifts
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दानानि)

• गजाः: elephants
• गजाः: Karma (Items given/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karma (Items given/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• हयाः: horses
• हयाः: Karma (Items given/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• रथाः: chariots
• रथाः: Karma (Items given/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ceremonial gifting scene: elephants caparisoned, herds of cows, horses, and chariots lined up; brāhmaṇas receiving with blessings; the tīrtha backdrop with banners and ritual fires.

Characters & Entities

• Nabhāga
• Ambārīṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great merit is gained through difficult yet selfless charity, especially when performed as a sacred religious act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya within Prabhāsa—praising the sanctity of that tīrtha-region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna: gifting valuable items such as elephants, cows, horses, and chariots as acts of dharma.