Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तिला हिरण्यसहिता देया ब्राह्मणसत्तमे । मोदका गुडसंमिश्राः प्रत्यहं दक्षिणान्विताः

Transliteration

tilā hiraṇyasahitā deyā brāhmaṇasattame | modakā guḍasaṃmiśrāḥ pratyahaṃ dakṣiṇānvitāḥ

Translation

O best of brāhmaṇas, sesame seeds together with gold should be given in charity; and every day, modakas mixed with jaggery should be given along with a proper honorarium (dakṣiṇā).

Word by Word

• tilāḥ: sesame seeds
• tilāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• hiraṇya-sahitāḥ: accompanied with gold
• hiraṇya-sahitāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + sahita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• deyāḥ: should be given
• deyāḥ: Vidhi (Injunction/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धा॒तु) → deya (कृदन्त, विधेय/gerundive)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विधिलिङ्गार्थकः ‘कर्तव्य/देय’ (to be given)

• brāhmaṇa-sattame: O best of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-sattame: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• modakāḥ: sweet dumplings (modakas)
• modakāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: modaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• guḍa-saṃmiśrāḥ: mixed with jaggery
• guḍa-saṃmiśrāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃmiśra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• pratyaham: every day
• pratyaham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati + ahan (अव्ययीभाव-समास)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• dakṣiṇā-anvitāḥ: accompanied by a gift/fee (dakṣiṇā)
• dakṣiṇā-anvitāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Māgha-vrata context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa audience (brāhmaṇa-sattama addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee presents sesame and a small gold piece to a seated brāhmaṇa, and offers modakas mixed with jaggery on a leaf-plate, placing dakṣiṇā beside it; the river and temple remain in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Tilā (sesame)
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is meant to flower into generosity; charity becomes a daily discipline alongside sacred bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vow-context is tied to Gomatī tīrtha in the Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving sesame with gold, and daily giving jaggery-mixed modakas together with dakṣiṇā.