Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

शुभ्रं कोटिगुणं प्राज्यं ततस्तुष्टिं समागतः । ज्ञात्वा तीर्थप्रभावं तं ब्राह्मणेभ्यः सहस्रशः । प्रददौ च दयायुक्त उद्दिश्य पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

śubhraṃ koṭiguṇaṃ prājyaṃ tatastuṣṭiṃ samāgataḥ | jñātvā tīrthaprabhāvaṃ taṃ brāhmaṇebhyaḥ sahasraśaḥ | pradadau ca dayāyukta uddiśya pitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

ആ സ്വർണം നിർമലവും കോടിഗുണം വർധിച്ചതും സമൃദ്ധവുമായിരുന്നു; അതുകൊണ്ട് അവൻ സന്തുഷ്ടനായി. ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ മഹിമ അറിഞ്ഞ്, കരുണയോടെ, പിതൃദേവതകളെ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച് ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് ദാനങ്ങൾ നൽകി.

Word by Word

• शुभ्रम्: bright/pure
• शुभ्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• कोटि-गुणम्: crore-fold
• कोटि-गुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्राज्यम्: abundant
• प्राज्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थ-क्रमवाचक (adverb: 'then/thereupon')

• तुष्टिम्: satisfaction
• तुष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• समागतः: attained/reached
• समागतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्तरि (having attained)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having known)

• तीर्थ-प्रभावम्: the power of the tīrtha
• तीर्थ-प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• सहस्रशः: in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशः (अव्यय; सहस्र + शस्)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'by thousands/in thousands')

• प्रददौ: gave
• प्रददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• दयायुक्तः: endowed with compassion
• दयायुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• उद्दिश्य: dedicating to/for
• उद्दिश्य: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + √दिश् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund: 'having dedicated/aiming at')

• पितृ-देवताः: the Pitṛ-deities (ancestral deities)
• पितृ-देवताः: Sampradana (Intended beneficiaries/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

Speaker

Pulastya (implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda tīrtha (as locus of prabhāva)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūmipa/nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king beholds heaps of pure gold, then turns to rows of brāhmaṇas, distributing gifts by the thousand with a compassionate expression, while invoking ancestors in sankalpa.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestral deities)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-knowledge culminates in compassionate giving, especially offerings dedicated for the welfare of one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kanakhala-tīrtha and its extraordinary tīrtha-prabhāva (sacred potency).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna to brāhmaṇas in large measure, explicitly dedicated to the Pitṛs (ancestral rites context).