Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

कुरुक्षेत्रगतैः किं स्याद्राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे । तुलासुवर्णदानेन वेदपाठेन किं भवेत्

Transliteration

kurukṣetragataiḥ kiṃ syādrāhugraste divākare | tulāsuvarṇadānena vedapāṭhena kiṃ bhavet

Translation

Was nützt der Gang nach Kurukṣetra, wenn die Sonne von Rāhu verfinstert wird? Welches Ergebnis bringt das Tulā-dāna, das Spenden von Gold nach der Waage, oder das Rezitieren der Veden?

Word by Word

• कुरुक्षेत्रगतैः: by those who have gone to Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रगतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कुरुक्षेत्रे गताः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg)

• राहुग्रस्ते: when seized by Rāhu (eclipsed)
• राहुग्रस्ते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राहु + ग्रस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: राहुणा ग्रस्तः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular); विशेषण (qualifying दिवाकरे)

• दिवाकरे: in the sun
• दिवाकरे: Adhikarana (Time/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: दिवा करोति/करः (कर्मधारय-नाम); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• तुलासुवर्णदानेन: by donation of gold (weighed on a balance)
• तुलासुवर्णदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला + सुवर्ण + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तुलायां सुवर्णस्य दानम् (सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• वेदपाठेन: by recitation of the Veda
• वेदपाठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + पाठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: वेदानां पाठः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• भवेत्: would become/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg)

Speaker

Devāṅganā (addressing Indra/Sureśvara) inferred from the rhetorical sequence

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (implied as comparator)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at Kurukṣetra bathe during a solar eclipse (Rāhu swallowing the sun), priests perform tulā-dāna with gold on a balance, and a Vedic reciter chants—yet the narrative voice implies a higher fruit elsewhere.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Rāhu
• Divākara (Sun)
• Tulā-dāna
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The passage uses rhetorical comparison: renowned rites (eclipse-bathing, great charities, Vedic recitation) are not the final measure without the highest devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra is mentioned as a famous tīrtha; the overarching glorification remains tied to Vastrāpathakṣetra and Śiva-vrata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Eclipse-time pilgrimage (Rāhu-grasta sun), tulā-suvarṇa-dāna (gold charity by weighing), and Veda recitation.