Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

गजाश्वरथदानैः किं किं मंदिरप्रतिष्ठया । तेषां पूजादिना सम्यगिष्टा पूर्तादिभिश्च किम्

Transliteration

gajāśvarathadānaiḥ kiṃ kiṃ maṃdirapratiṣṭhayā | teṣāṃ pūjādinā samyagiṣṭā pūrtādibhiśca kim

Translation

À quoi bon offrir des éléphants, des chevaux et des chars, ou même consacrer des temples ? À quoi bon un culte élaboré, des sacrifices et des œuvres de mérite public, lorsque l’on obtient le fruit suprême célébré ici ?

Word by Word

• गजाश्वरथदानैः: by gifts of elephants, horses, and chariots
• गजाश्वरथदानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रथ (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (गजाः च अश्वाः च रथाः च; तेषां दानानि)

• किम्: what (use)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• किम्: what (use)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• मन्दिरप्रतिष्ठया: by temple consecration
• मन्दिरप्रतिष्ठया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (मन्दिरस्य प्रतिष्ठा)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पूजादिना: by worship and the like
• पूजादिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पूजा-आदि)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'properly')

• इष्टा: sacrificial rites (iṣṭa)
• इष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्ट (कृदन्त; इष्/यज्-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'इष्ट' = यज्ञादि-इष्टकर्माणि (sacrificial rites)

• पूर्तादिभिः: by charitable works (pūrta) etc.
• पूर्तादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पूर्त-आदि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• किम्: what (use)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of lavish donors offering elephants, horses, and chariots; priests performing temple consecration and elaborate worship—yet the focal point is a humble devotee receiving Kṛṣṇa’s grace at Dvārakā, indicating the ‘higher fruit’ beyond spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse relativizes even great charities and ritual works, implying that Dvārakā-related devotion yields a superior, more direct spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, the sacred city associated with Lord Kṛṣṇa, within the Dvārakā Māhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Major dānas (gifts), mandira-pratiṣṭhā (temple consecration), pūjā (worship), and iṣṭa-pūrta (sacrifices and public merit works) are referenced as comparators.