Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

पलेन दक्षिणा कार्या तदर्धार्धेन वा पुनः । शक्तितो दक्षिणायुक्तां तां धेनुं प्रतिपादयेत्

Transliteration

palena dakṣiṇā kāryā tadardhārdhena vā punaḥ | śaktito dakṣiṇāyuktāṃ tāṃ dhenuṃ pratipādayet

Translation

Qu’on donne une dakṣiṇā d’un pala, ou bien de la moitié. Selon ses moyens, après y avoir joint la dakṣiṇā, qu’on remette solennellement cette vache en don.

Word by Word

• पलेन: with a pala (a weight/measure)
• पलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• दक्षिणा: the sacrificial fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• कार्या: should be made/given
• कार्या: Vidhaya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; Gerundive (to be done) agreeing with ‘दक्षिणा’

• तदर्धार्धेन: with half of that half (i.e., a quarter)
• तदर्धार्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (तद्-अर्ध-अर्ध) = तस्य अर्धस्य अर्धम्; Instrumental singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय; disjunctive particle

• पुनः: again; alternatively
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्ति-अर्थक-अव्यय; adverb

• शक्तितः: according to one’s capacity
• शक्तितः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; शक्तितः = शक्त्या अनुसारम्; adverbial (according to ability)

• दक्षिणा-युक्ताम्: endowed with the dakṣiṇā (gift)
• दक्षिणा-युक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; युज् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (दक्षिणया युक्ता) कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः; Accusative singular qualifying ‘धेनु’

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (pronoun)

• धेनुम्: cow
• धेनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• प्रतिपादयेत्: should present/offer
• प्रतिपादयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + पद् (धातु) (णिच्) → प्रतिपादय (धातु-प्रयोग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should present/offer’

Speaker

Narrator/instructor voice within the māhātmya (ritual rule on dakṣiṇā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual officiant measures dakṣiṇā (weight/coins) while the donor stands beside an adorned cow; the formal act of pratipādana (handing over) is prepared with sacred vessels and kusa grass.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣiṇā
• Dhenu (cow)
• Pala (measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is accessible at every level: offerings may be adjusted to capacity while maintaining sincerity and proper form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, through a practical ritual prescription tied to its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give a prescribed dakṣiṇā (one pala or half) and donate the cow with dakṣiṇā according to one’s means.