Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

बहुभ्यो न प्रदेयानि गौर्गृहं शयनं स्त्रियः । विभक्ता दक्षिणा ह्येषा दातारं नोपतिष्ठति

Transliteration

bahubhyo na pradeyāni gaurgṛhaṃ śayanaṃ striyaḥ | vibhaktā dakṣiṇā hyeṣā dātāraṃ nopatiṣṭhati

Translation

Une vache, une maison, un lit et une épouse ne doivent pas être donnés à plusieurs (partagés entre maints bénéficiaires). Car cette dakṣiṇā, une fois divisée, ne soutient ni ne profite véritablement au donateur.

Word by Word

• bahubhyaḥ: to many (people)
• bahubhyaḥ: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Dat./Abl.), बहुवचन; ‘to many’ (recipient sense)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation)

• pradeyāni: to be given (should be given)
• pradeyāni: Vidhi/Pratiṣedha (विधि/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + deya (कृदन्त; √dā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: to be given) — प्रतिषेधेन ‘not to be given’

• gauḥ: a cow
• gauḥ: Karma (कर्म)/Pradhāna (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gṛham: a house
• gṛham: Karma (कर्म)/Pradhāna (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śayanam: a bed
• śayanam: Karma (कर्म)/Pradhāna (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• striyaḥ: women
• striyaḥ: Karma (कर्म)/Pradhāna (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• vibhaktā: divided (among many)
• vibhaktā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vibhakta (कृदन्त; √bhaj with vi-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (divided/distributed)

• dakṣiṇā: the gift/fee (dakṣiṇā)
• dakṣiṇā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• eṣā: this
• eṣā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• dātāram: the giver
• dātāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation)

• upatiṣṭhati: attends/benefits (stands by)
• upatiṣṭhati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + sthā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor considers distributing a single cow/household gift among multiple claimants; a priestly advisor indicates ‘one recipient’ with a raised finger; the cow stands garlanded, emphasizing indivisible sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Go (cow)
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain gifts are dharmically meaningful only when given whole and responsibly; fragmented giving can nullify intended merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The counsel is embedded in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, where righteous charity is presented as part of Prabhāsa’s sacred discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not distribute (split) certain major gifts—especially go-dāna—among multiple recipients; give them as complete offerings.