Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अतिथये प्रशान्ताय सीदते चाहिताग्नये । श्रोत्रियाय तथैकापि दत्ता बहुगुणा भवेत्

Transliteration

atithaye praśāntāya sīdate cāhitāgnaye | śrotriyāya tathaikāpi dattā bahuguṇā bhavet

Translation

Même une seule vache, offerte à un hôte paisible, à celui qui est dans le besoin, à un āhitāgni (gardien des feux sacrés) ou à un śrotriya, brāhmaṇa instruit du Veda, devient un mérite multiplié.

Word by Word

• atithaye: to a guest
• atithaye: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• praśāntāya: calm/peaceful
• praśāntāya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praśānta (कृदन्त; √śam)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त विशेषण

• sīdate: sits down/approaches (is devoted)
• sīdate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sad (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• āhitāgnaye: to one who maintains the sacred fires (āhitāgni)
• āhitāgnaye: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āhita + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आहितोऽग्निः यस्य सः (आहिताग्नि) इति बहुव्रीहि-प्रातिपदिक, तस्मै (dative)

• śrotriyāya: to a learned Vedic scholar
• śrotriyāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrotriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ekā: one (single)
• ekā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• dattā: given
• dattā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: datta (कृदन्त; √dā)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (given) — (गौः implied)

• bahuguṇā: many-times (highly) meritorious
• bahuguṇā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहवो गुणाः यस्याः सा (many-fold/with many merits)

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa respectfully offers a cow (symbolic go-dāna) to a serene guest and to a Veda-versed brāhmaṇa near a tīrtha pavilion; sacred fires of an āhitāgni glow nearby; the sea-breeze of Prabhāsa and temple silhouettes frame the act.

Characters & Entities

• Āhitāgni
• Śrotriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a small gift becomes vast in merit when offered to the truly deserving—especially guests, the needy, and Veda-rooted practitioners.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the māhātmya emphasizes intensified merit through correct dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna to specific recipients—atithi, the distressed, āhitāgni, and śrotriya—is said to multiply the fruit of the gift.