Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

कस्मिन्मासे तिथौ कस्यां कस्मिन्पर्वणि मानवैः । गन्तव्यं कानि देयानि दानानि दनुजर्षभ

Transliteration

kasminmāse tithau kasyāṃ kasminparvaṇi mānavaiḥ | gantavyaṃ kāni deyāni dānāni danujarṣabha

Translation

“In which month, on which lunar day, and on which festival occasion should people go? And what gifts and charities are to be given, O best among the Dānavas?”

Word by Word

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण

• मासे: month
• मासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• तिथौ: lunar day (tithi)
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणे (on which lunar day)

• कस्याम्: in which (f.)
• कस्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण

• पर्वणि: festival/occasion
• पर्वणि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणे (on which festival/occasion)

• मानवैः: by people
• मानवैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्तृ/करणभावे (by humans)

• गन्तव्यम्: should be gone (one should go)
• गन्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गन्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (must be gone/should go)

• कानि: which
• कानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण

• देयानि: to be given
• देयानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be given’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; दानवस्तूनि

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

• दनुज-ऋषभ: O best of the Danujas
• दनुज-ऋषभ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दनुज + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘दनुजर्षभ’ = bull among Danuja-s (address)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Prahlāda (addressed as ‘danujārṣabha’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The question shifts from ‘what merit?’ to ‘when exactly?’ and ‘what gifts?’—a practical pilgrimage briefing: lunar calendar symbols, festival markers, and offerings laid out before the teacher.

Characters & Entities

• Parva (festival observance)
• Dāna (charity)
• Danujarṣabha (Prahlāda as addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-yātrā is to be harmonized with sacred calendrical timing and completed with dāna, integrating devotion with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā (context), with attention to when and how to undertake the pilgrimage properly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for prescriptions regarding month/tithi/parva and the appropriate forms of dāna (charitable giving).