Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

किमन्यैर्बहुभिर्दानैर्दत्तैः पात्रेषु सुन्दरि

Transliteration

kimanyairbahubhirdānairdattaiḥ pātreṣu sundari

Translation

Ô belle, à quoi bon tant d’autres dons, même offerts à des récipiendaires dignes ?

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use/need)
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• अन्यैः: by other
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दानैः: gifts, donations
• दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• दत्तैः: given
• दत्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; दानैः इति विशेषण

• पात्रेषु: in/among worthy recipients
• पात्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन

• सुन्दरि: O beautiful lady
• सुन्दरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unnamed narrator addressing a female interlocutor (speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to ‘sundarī’ (female interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-like figure gently restrains a devotee from piling up many gifts, pointing instead toward the shrine—signifying ‘one complete vow is enough’.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna
• Pātra (worthy recipient)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single, wholehearted sacred observance can surpass numerous external charities; inner devotion and focused dharma are emphasized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a bridge in the Prabhāsa Kṣetra māhātmya, framing the superiority of the forthcoming Śiva-vrata within this sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) is referenced comparatively, preparing the praise of a specific vrata as more efficacious.