Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

कौसुंभं पादयुगले कुंकुमं पीतकंचुकम् । ब्राह्मणीभ्यो ददन्तीह स्पर्द्धमानाः पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

kausuṃbhaṃ pādayugale kuṃkumaṃ pītakaṃcukam | brāhmaṇībhyo dadantīha sparddhamānāḥ pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

Hier, miteinander wetteifernd, geben sie den Brāhmaṇa-Frauen: Saflorfarbe für das Fußpaar, Kumkuma und gelbe Mieder—jede für sich gesondert.

Word by Word

• कौसुम्भम्: safflower-dye/kausumbha cloth/dye
• कौसुम्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौसुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पाद-युगले: on the pair of feet
• पाद-युगले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + युगल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• कुङ्कुमम्: saffron/vermilion
• कुङ्कुमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पीत-कञ्चुकम्: a yellow bodice/garment
• पीत-कञ्चुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक) + कञ्चुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणीभ्यः: to the brāhmaṇa women
• ब्राह्मणीभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Dative/Ablative 4th/5th), बहुवचन; अत्र दानकर्मणि चतुर्थी (dative of recipient)

• ददन्ति: they give
• ददन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्पर्धमानाः: competing/rivaling
• स्पर्धमानाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पर्ध् (धातु) + मान (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present middle participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पृथक्-पृथक्: separately, each one apart
• पृथक्-पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय) + पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्यय (reduplicated adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Princesses, each separately and playfully competing, present safflower dye, kumkuma, and yellow bodices to Brāhmaṇa women in a tirtha setting—hands extended with trays, textiles folded, powders in small bowls.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇī (Brāhmaṇa women)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity (dāna) performed in a holy place—especially to Brāhmaṇa families—becomes a visible expression of dharma and communal merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa, portrayed as a place where dharmic giving is actively practiced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of kausumbha dye, kumkuma, and yellow garments/bodices to Brāhmaṇī-s (Brāhmaṇa women).