Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

धान्यं पयश्च च्छत्रं च गृहं चोपस्करान्वितम् । एतान्येव महादेवि महादानानि षोडश

Transliteration

dhānyaṃ payaśca cchatraṃ ca gṛhaṃ copaskarānvitam | etānyeva mahādevi mahādānāni ṣoḍaśa

Translation

Grain, lait, ombrelle, et une maison pourvue de tout le nécessaire—voilà bien, ô Grande Déesse, ce qui constitue les seize grands dons (mahādāna).

Word by Word

• धान्यम्: grain
• धान्यम्: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

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

• छत्रम्: umbrella
• छत्रम्: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

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

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

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

• उपस्करान्वितम्: furnished with household goods
• उपस्करान्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपस्कर + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √इ (धातु) + अनु + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; उपस्करैः अन्वितम् (furnished with equipment)

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; महा + देवी

• महादानानि: great gifts
• महादानानि: Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; महादान = महानि दानानि

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे (numeral used adjectivally)

Speaker

Deductive (address to Mahādevī implies a Śiva–Pārvatī style dialogue; speaker likely Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (explicitly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concluding tableau of the mahādāna list: sacks of grain, vessels of milk, a ceremonial umbrella held above a recipient, and a small model-house or doorway scene showing a furnished home being gifted; the goddess is addressed, with priests witnessing the vow.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great charity includes essentials that protect and sustain life—food, nourishment, shelter, and support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The list is embedded in the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, aligning dāna with the sanctity of Prabhāsa pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Completion of the canonical list of sixteen mahādānas, including dhānya-dāna, payo-dāna, chatra-dāna, and gṛha-dāna.