Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तिला हिरण्यसहिता देया ब्राह्मणसत्तमे । मोदका गुडसंमिश्राः प्रत्यहं दक्षिणान्विताः

Transliteration

tilā hiraṇyasahitā deyā brāhmaṇasattame | modakā guḍasaṃmiśrāḥ pratyahaṃ dakṣiṇānvitāḥ

Translation

Wahai brāhmaṇa terbaik, hendaklah diberikan sedekah wijen (tila) beserta emas. Dan setiap hari, modaka yang dicampur gula aren (jaggery) hendaklah dipersembahkan disertai dakṣiṇā yang layak.

Word by Word

• tilāḥ: sesame seeds
• tilāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• hiraṇya-sahitāḥ: accompanied with gold
• hiraṇya-sahitāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + sahita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• deyāḥ: should be given
• deyāḥ: Vidhi (Injunction/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धा॒तु) → deya (कृदन्त, विधेय/gerundive)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विधिलिङ्गार्थकः ‘कर्तव्य/देय’ (to be given)

• brāhmaṇa-sattame: O best of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-sattame: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• modakāḥ: sweet dumplings (modakas)
• modakāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: modaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• guḍa-saṃmiśrāḥ: mixed with jaggery
• guḍa-saṃmiśrāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃmiśra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• pratyaham: every day
• pratyaham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati + ahan (अव्ययीभाव-समास)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• dakṣiṇā-anvitāḥ: accompanied by a gift/fee (dakṣiṇā)
• dakṣiṇā-anvitāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Māgha-vrata context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa audience (brāhmaṇa-sattama addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee presents sesame and a small gold piece to a seated brāhmaṇa, and offers modakas mixed with jaggery on a leaf-plate, placing dakṣiṇā beside it; the river and temple remain in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Tilā (sesame)
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is meant to flower into generosity; charity becomes a daily discipline alongside sacred bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vow-context is tied to Gomatī tīrtha in the Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving sesame with gold, and daily giving jaggery-mixed modakas together with dakṣiṇā.