Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

एवं दत्त्वा विधानेन तस्यां रात्रौ निमन्त्रयेत् । पौर्णमास्यां वटाधस्ताद्दंपतीनां चतुर्दश

Transliteration

evaṃ dattvā vidhānena tasyāṃ rātrau nimantrayet | paurṇamāsyāṃ vaṭādhastāddaṃpatīnāṃ caturdaśa

Translation

Après avoir ainsi donné selon la règle, cette nuit-là—au jour de pleine lune—qu’on invite quatorze couples d’époux à se rassembler sous le banian.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having given)

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure/rite
• विधानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (करण); एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• तस्याम्: on that (night/occasion)
• तस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण); एकवचन (Locative singular)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण); एकवचन (Locative singular)

• निमन्त्रयेत्: should invite
• निमन्त्रयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (3rd sg optative)

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day/night
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण); एकवचन (Locative singular)

• वटाधस्तात्: from/beneath the banyan tree
• वटाधस्तात्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वट (प्रातिपदिक) + अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (indeclinable adverb of place)

• दम्पतीनाम्: of the couple(s)
• दम्पतीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (युग्म/द्विवचनार्थक-शब्द); षष्ठी विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध); बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास/संख्यावाचक; प्रायः अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; (fourteen)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaṭa-sthala (banyan spot) at Sāvitrī-sthala, Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night of the full moon: a vast banyan tree with hanging roots; fourteen married couples seated or gathered beneath, with a priest arranging ritual items; moonlight washes the Prabhāsa ground while lamps flicker.

Characters & Entities

• Paurṇamāsī
• Vaṭa (banyan tree)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit increases when charity and hospitality are performed at the right time (full moon) and in sanctified spaces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sāvitrī-sthala in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, with the rite performed near/under a sacred banyan.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After giving properly, invite fourteen married couples on the full-moon night to gather beneath a banyan tree.