Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

धेनुं ददाति नो विप्रो ग्रहणे चंद्रसूर्ययोः

Transliteration

dhenuṃ dadāti no vipro grahaṇe caṃdrasūryayoḥ

Translation

Ce brāhmane ne fait pas don d’une vache laitière lors des éclipses de la Lune et du Soleil.

Word by Word

• धेनुम्: a cow
• धेनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ग्रहणे: at the eclipse
• ग्रहणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: of the moon and the sun
• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (चन्द्रः च सूर्यः)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic eclipse sky: Sun or Moon partially obscured; pilgrims bathe and chant at the shore/river; a cow adorned with garlands stands ready for donation, but the negligent brāhmaṇa turns away; the contrast highlights missed sacred timing.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)
• Sūrya (Sun)
• Grahaṇa (eclipse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Eclipse-times are treated as spiritually potent; withholding dāna then is depicted as missing a major opportunity for purification and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, where tīrtha-sanctity is paired with timely charity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gau-dāna (donation of a cow) during candra-grahaṇa and sūrya-grahaṇa (lunar and solar eclipses).