Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

दाने स्नाने जपे होमे भोजने देवतार्चने । देवानामृजवो दर्भाः पितॄणां द्विगुणास्तथा

Transliteration

dāne snāne jape home bhojane devatārcane | devānāmṛjavo darbhāḥ pitṝṇāṃ dviguṇāstathā

Translation

Dans l’aumône, le bain rituel, le japa, le homa, le repas et le culte des divinités : pour les Devas, l’herbe darbha doit être posée bien droite ; pour les Pitṛs, elle doit être disposée de même en double.

Word by Word

• दाने: in giving (charity)
• दाने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नाने: in bathing
• स्नाने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जपे: in japa
• जपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• होमे: in homa (fire-offering)
• होमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भोजने: in eating
• भोजने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवतार्चने: in worship of deities
• देवतार्चने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवतायाः अर्चनम्)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऋजवः: straight
• ऋजवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋजु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (दर्भाः विशेषयति)

• दर्भाः: darbha-grass blades
• दर्भाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• द्विगुणाः: double (in quantity/measure)
• द्विगुणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वौ गुणौ यस्य/येषाम्) विशेषण (दर्भाः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Unknown (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration; ritual detail on darbha usage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-priest at Prabhāsa prepares a clean altar: darbha laid straight for deva-offering and doubled for pitṛ-offering; nearby are vessels for dāna, a small homa-fire, and a calm sea-coast tīrtha ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Pitṛs
• Darbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Precision in ritual details is presented as a form of reverence that sustains dharma and sacred efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra māhātmya narrative environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use straight darbhas for deva-rites; use doubled darbhas for pitṛ-rites, across contexts like dāna, snāna, japa, homa, feeding, and deity worship.