Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अश्वस्तत्रैव दातव्यः सम्यग्यात्राफलेप्सुभिः

Transliteration

aśvastatraiva dātavyaḥ samyagyātrāphalepsubhiḥ

Translation

Mereka yang mendambakan buah ziarah sepenuhnya hendaknya mempersembahkan dana seekor kuda di tempat suci itu juga, menurut tata cara dharma.

Word by Word

• aśvaḥ: a horse
• aśvaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• dātavyaḥ: should be given (as a gift)
• dātavyaḥ: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘to be given/should be given’

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb: properly)

• yātrāphalepsubhiḥ: by those desiring the fruit of the pilgrimage
• yātrāphalepsubhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā-phala-ipsu (प्रातिपदिक; यात्रा + फल + इप्सु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; ‘यात्रायाः फलम् इप्सवः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (sages/devotees)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at Prabhāsa complete their yātrā by gifting a decorated horse to a worthy recipient near the sacred precinct, with priests reciting blessings and the sea-wind carrying incense.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna
• Aśva (horse)
• Yātrā (pilgrimage)
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected by dāna; giving at the tīrtha completes the dharmic circuit of travel, worship, and charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Bhadrakālī–Bālārka/Sūrya-related sacred spot within Prabhāsakṣetra where this instruction is to be performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśva-dāna (donation of a horse) at the site for those seeking the complete fruit of the pilgrimage.