Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

गृहाणां तु सहस्राणि दीनानाथाश्रयाणि च । कारयित्वा विधानेन विप्रेभ्यः प्रददौ पृथक्

Transliteration

gṛhāṇāṃ tu sahasrāṇi dīnānāthāśrayāṇi ca | kārayitvā vidhānena viprebhyaḥ pradadau pṛthak

Translation

Il fit bâtir des milliers de maisons—ainsi que des refuges pour les pauvres et les sans-protection—puis, selon la procédure prescrite, il les donna séparément aux brāhmaṇa.

Word by Word

• गृहाणाम्: of houses
• गृहाणाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक (particle)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (nominative plural); संख्या (thousands)

• दीनानाथाश्रयाणि: sheltering the poor and helpless
• दीनानाथाश्रयाणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन + अनाथ + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘दीनानाथानाम् आश्रयाणि’ (shelters for the poor and helpless) विशेषणं सहस्राणि इति

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

• कारयित्वा: having caused to be built
• कारयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कारय् (धातु, णिच् causative of कृ) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having caused to be made)

• विधानेन: according to proper procedure
• विधानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular); ‘विधिना’ (by proper procedure)

• विप्रेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• विप्रेभ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (dative plural)

• प्रददौ: he gave
• प्रददौ: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (he gave)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पृथक्त्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण (separately, individually)

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Someshvara vicinity)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rows of newly built houses and a shelter for the destitute stand near Someshvara; Soma oversees orderly distribution; brāhmaṇas receive deeds/keys; the poor find refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True merit at a tīrtha includes compassionate support—creating dwellings and refuges—so that sacred space becomes a lived dharma for society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, in the Someśvara sacred region described in this māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gifting (dāna) is to be done vidhānena—properly, with due procedure—here expressed as gṛha-dāna and establishing shelters.