Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

काञ्चनं गरुडं कृत्वा तिलधेनुसमन्वितम् । पौर्णमास्यामथो दद्याद्ब्राह्मणाय कुटुम्बिने । वाराहस्यप्रसादेन पदमाप्नोति वैष्णवम्

Transliteration

kāñcanaṃ garuḍaṃ kṛtvā tiladhenusamanvitam | paurṇamāsyāmatho dadyādbrāhmaṇāya kuṭumbine | vārāhasyaprasādena padamāpnoti vaiṣṇavam

Translation

Après avoir façonné un Garuḍa d’or et l’avoir accompagné du don de la « vache de sésame » (tiladhenu), qu’on l’offre, au jour de pleine lune, à un brāhmane chef de maison ; par la grâce de Varāha, on atteint la demeure vaiṣṇava.

Word by Word

• काञ्चनम्: golden / made of gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (गरुडम्)

• गरुडम्: Garuda (figure)
• गरुडम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• तिलधेनु-समन्वितम्: accompanied with a sesame-cow (gift)
• तिलधेनु-समन्वितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिल + धेनु + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (गरुडम्); तृतीया-तत्पुरुषभावः (तिलधेनुना समन्वितम्)

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालवाचक (time-locative)

• अथो: then
• अथो: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक (then/and)

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

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• कुटुम्बिने: to a householder / family man
• कुटुम्बिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुटुम्बिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण (ब्राह्मणाय)

• वाराहस्य: of Varāha
• वाराहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रसादेन: by grace / favor
• प्रसादेन: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पदम्: state / abode
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava (of Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पदम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munisattamāḥ / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor offers a small golden Garuḍa idol and a ceremonial tiladhenu to a dignified gṛhastha brāhmaṇa on Pūrṇimā night; moonlight, temple lamps, and a distant Varāha/Viṣṇu aura signify grace and attainment of Vaiṣṇava abode.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Tila-dhenu
• Paurṇamāsī
• Brāhmaṇa
• Varāha
• Vaiṣṇava-pada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional charity dedicated to Viṣṇu’s attendants and avatāras becomes a direct means to spiritual elevation by divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, presenting Prabhāsa as a field where such dānas yield exceptional fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On the full moon, donate a golden Garuḍa along with a tila-dhenu gift to a householder brāhmaṇa, seeking Varāha’s favor.