Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

धरित्रीं कांचनं गाश्च जलान्नवसनानि च । तृणेन्धने प्रियां वाणीं यच्छन्याति नरो यदि

Transliteration

dharitrīṃ kāṃcanaṃ gāśca jalānnavasanāni ca | tṛṇendhane priyāṃ vāṇīṃ yacchanyāti naro yadi

Translation

Si un homme quitte ce monde en faisant don de terre, d’or, de vaches, d’eau, de nourriture, de vêtements, même d’herbe et de bois—et encore de paroles douces et bienveillantes—alors ce don devient sa richesse de dharma, louée dans la grandeur du tīrtha.

Word by Word

• धरित्रीम्: land/earth
• धरित्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म (object of giving)

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; दानकर्म

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• जल: water
• जल: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• अन्न: food
• अन्न: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• वसनानि: garments
• वसनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; दानकर्म

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• तृणम्: grass
• तृणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• इन्धने: fuel/firewood
• इन्धने: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• प्रियाम्: pleasant/dear
• प्रियाम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; वाणी-विशेषण

• वाणीम्: speech/words
• वाणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• यच्छन्: giving
• यच्छन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु) [यच्छति] → यच्छत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Discourse connector (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-donor distributes land deeds or symbolic earth, gold, cows, water pots, food, garments, bundles of grass and firewood; alongside, he speaks gently to recipients, embodying ‘gift of speech’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is not limited to wealth; even simple necessities and kind speech are sacred gifts that build puṇya, especially in a tīrtha context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in the Prabhāsa region, as presented in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Vastrāpatha-kṣetra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice of dāna: gifting land, gold, cows, water, food, clothing, grass, fuel, and cultivating priyavākya (pleasant speech).