Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

युगादयः स्मृता एता दत्त स्याक्षयकारिकाः

Transliteration

yugādayaḥ smṛtā etā datta syākṣayakārikāḥ

Translation

On s’en souvient comme des « commencements des yuga » ; les dons offerts en ces occasions deviennent cause d’un mérite akṣaya, impérissable et inépuisable.

Word by Word

• युगादयः: yuga etc. (such occasions)
• युगादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (युगं आदिः येषाम्/युगादयः = 'yuga etc.')

• स्मृताः: are declared/remembered
• स्मृताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'remembered/declared'

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दत्त: given
• दत्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) 'given'; (पाठभेद/रूपभेद: दत्तम्/दत्ताः अपेक्षितम्)

• स्य: would be/is to be
• स्य: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (स्यात् इत्यर्थे; पाठे 'स्य' = 'स्यात्' संक्षेप/सन्धि-लोप)

• अक्षयकारिकाः: causing imperishability (of merit)
• अक्षयकारिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (अक्षया कारिका यासाम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at Prabhāsa perform dāna at dawn on a calendrical threshold day; priests recite saṅkalpa while donors offer vessels of water, sesame, cloth, and food; the sea-breeze and temple silhouettes suggest Somnātha’s coastal sacredness.

Characters & Entities

• Yugādi
• Akṣaya
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right timing sanctifies giving; offerings made on yugādi-like occasions yield enduring, ‘imperishable’ spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where time-specific dāna and Śrāddha are praised for extraordinary and lasting merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give dāna (and by context, perform Śrāddha) on the enumerated sacred occasions, as they generate akṣaya-puṇya.