Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

तीर्थादष्टगुणं पुण्यं स्वगृहे ददतः शुभे । न च पश्यन्ति वै नीचाः श्राद्धं दत्तं द्विजातिभिः

Transliteration

tīrthādaṣṭaguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ svagṛhe dadataḥ śubhe | na ca paśyanti vai nīcāḥ śrāddhaṃ dattaṃ dvijātibhiḥ

Translation

Pahala memberi dengan niat suci di rumah sendiri adalah delapan kali lipat dibanding memberi di tīrtha. Dan orang berhati rendah tidak dapat menyaksikan śrāddha yang dipersembahkan oleh para dvija.

Word by Word

• तीर्थात्: than/from a pilgrimage place
• तीर्थात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचनम् = Ablative singular

• अष्टगुणम्: eightfold
• अष्टगुणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (here agreeing with ‘puṇyam’ as predicate/measure); समासः: अष्टानां गुणानां समाहारः/अष्टगुणः (determinative)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम् = Nominative singular (predicate/subject)

• स्वगृहे: in one’s own house
• स्वगृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनम् = Locative singular; समासः: स्वस्य गृहे

• ददतः: of one who gives
• ददतः: Sambandha (Genitive agent/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle) ‘giving’; षष्ठी, एकवचनम् = Genitive singular (of the giver)

• शुभे: in an auspicious (place/time)
• शुभे: Adhikaraṇa (Location qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनम् = Locative singular; विशेषणम् (to ‘svagṛhe’)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात) = negation particle

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात)

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम् = 3rd person plural

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadhāraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक-निपात)

• नीचाः: base/low people
• नीचाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् = Nominative plural

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचनम् = Accusative singular

• दत्तम्: given/offered
• दत्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दा धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचनम् = Accusative singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) qualifying ‘śrāddham’

• द्विजातिभिः: by the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातिभिः: Kartṛ-karaṇa (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण), बहुवचनम् = Instrumental plural; समासः: द्विजानां जातिः/द्विजातिः (ब्राह्मणादि)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet household courtyard prepared for śrāddha: kuśa grass, water vessel, sesame, and a seated brāhmaṇa; the giver offers with folded hands while a subtle boundary keeps onlookers away; a distant glimpse of Prabhāsa’s coastal sanctity implied by conch-shell and sea-horizon motifs.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Śrāddha
• Dvijāti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere, properly timed giving at home—especially śrāddha—can surpass even tīrtha-based merit when done with purity and rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While tīrthas are acknowledged, the verse highlights the exceptional efficacy of home-based śrāddha within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra teaching context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give/perform śrāddha auspiciously at home; the rite is to be kept from improper onlookers (implied ritual propriety).