Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

प्रकृतिं चापि यो दद्यान्मुष्टिं वाथ क्षुधार्थिने । विमानवरमारूढः स सोमं प्रति गच्छति

Transliteration

prakṛtiṃ cāpi yo dadyānmuṣṭiṃ vātha kṣudhārthine | vimānavaramārūḍhaḥ sa somaṃ prati gacchati

Translation

Selbst wer einem Hungrigen nur einen kleinen Anteil Speise—ja, auch nur eine Handvoll—gibt, besteigt ein erhabenes Vimāna und gelangt in Somas Bereich.

Word by Word

• प्रकृतिम्: nature; (here) a prepared offering/material (prakṛti)
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem acc sg)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun: masc nom sg)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• मुष्टिम्: a handful
• मुष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fem acc sg)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अथ: then, also
• अथ: Anvaya (Sequencing/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: then/also)

• क्षुधार्थिने: to a hungry person
• क्षुधार्थिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुधार्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (masc dat sg); ‘क्षुधा + अर्थिन्’ = one who seeks food

• विमानवरमारूढः: mounted on a splendid aerial chariot
• विमानवरमारूढः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (masc nom sg); ‘mounted on an excellent aerial car’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun: masc nom sg)

• सोमम्: Soma (moon-god/realm)
• सोमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc acc sg)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Dik (Direction/दिक्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb/adposition: towards)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers a small handful of food to a visibly hungry traveler near a sacred precinct; above, a radiant vimāna descends, carrying the donor toward Soma’s luminous realm.

Characters & Entities

• Soma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate giving—especially feeding the hungry—creates vast spiritual merit even when the gift is small.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa, emphasizing tīrtha-enhanced merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving food (even a handful) to a hungry person—anna-dāna as a direct dharmic act.