Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

दातव्यं भक्ति युक्ताय स्वशिष्याय सुताय वा । पूर्वमेव मया ख्यातं सारात्सारतरं प्रिये

Transliteration

dātavyaṃ bhakti yuktāya svaśiṣyāya sutāya vā | pūrvameva mayā khyātaṃ sārātsārataraṃ priye

Translation

Qu’on le donne à celui qui est pourvu de bhakti : à son propre disciple, ou même à son fils. Ô bien-aimée, j’ai déjà proclamé auparavant l’essence même de l’essence.

Word by Word

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: 'to be given')

• भक्ति: with devotion
• भक्ति: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचन (समास/योगे पूर्वपद-भावः)

• युक्ताय: to one endowed (with)
• युक्ताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle: 'endowed/connected')

• स्वशिष्याय: to one’s own disciple
• स्वशिष्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + शिष्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य शिष्यः)

• सुताय: to a son
• सुताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• पूर्वम्: previously
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: formerly/before)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (indeed)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ख्यातम्: was declared/made known
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle: 'made known')

• सारात्: from the essence
• सारात्: Apadana (Source/अपा दान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• सारतरम्: more excellent (essence)
• सारतरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारतर (प्रातिपदिक; सार + तरप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative: 'more excellent')

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, in calm instruction, indicates that the essence of the teaching should be entrusted only to a devoted disciple or son; Pārvatī listens attentively in a sacred setting suggestive of Prabhāsa’s coastal sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion and rightful relationship (disciple/child) establish eligibility for receiving profound teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, where right conduct safeguards sacred merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescription on dāna of knowledge: give it to the bhakti-yukta, especially one’s disciple or son.