Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

प्रथमं तु गुरौ दानं दत्त्वा श्रेष्ठमनुक्रमात् । ततोऽन्येषां तु विप्राणां दद्यात्पात्रानुरूपतः

Transliteration

prathamaṃ tu gurau dānaṃ dattvā śreṣṭhamanukramāt | tato'nyeṣāṃ tu viprāṇāṃ dadyātpātrānurūpataḥ

Translation

First, in proper order, one should offer the finest gift to one’s guru; thereafter, one should give to other Brahmins according to their fitness as worthy recipients.

Word by Word

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (Accusative singular used adverbially)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• गुरौ: in/for the teacher (guru)
• गुरौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• दानम्: gift; donation
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• श्रेष्ठम्: the best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• अनुक्रमात्: according to order; sequentially
• अनुक्रमात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular; ‘in due order/according to sequence’)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thereafter)

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• अन्येषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• पात्रानुरूपतः: according to the worthiness of the recipient
• पात्रानुरूपतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पात्र + अनुरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययभावे (adverbial compound meaning ‘according to the recipient/fitness’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim kneels before his guru, offering the finest cloth and dakṣiṇā; behind, other brāhmaṇas sit in orderly rows awaiting gifts according to worth. Somnātha’s temple and sea indicate the Prabhāsa setting.

Characters & Entities

• guru
• vipra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity should be guided by gratitude and order: honor the guru first, then support other worthy spiritual recipients appropriately.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, whose māhātmya frames dāna as an ordered, discerning practice that enhances pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give first to the guru (with the best gift), then to other vipras according to pātratā.