Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सूर्यग्रहे महीपाल तीर्थं कनखलं गतः । तेन विप्रार्थमानीतं सुवर्णं जात्यमेव हि

Transliteration

sūryagrahe mahīpāla tīrthaṃ kanakhalaṃ gataḥ | tena viprārthamānītaṃ suvarṇaṃ jātyameva hi

Translation

ഹേ മഹീപാലാ! സൂര്യഗ്രഹണസമയത്ത് അവൻ കനഖല തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി. വിപ്രർക്കു ദാനം ചെയ്യാൻ ശുദ്ധമായ ജാതിസ്വർണം അവൻ കൊണ്ടുവന്നു.

Word by Word

• सूर्यग्रहे: during a solar eclipse
• सूर्यग्रहे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्यग्रह (प्रातिपदिक; सूर्य + ग्रह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण; तत्पुरुष (सूर्यस्य ग्रहः)

• महीपाल: O king
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक; मही + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (महीम् पालयति)

• तीर्थम्: to the sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कनखलम्: Kanakhala
• कनखलम्: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनखल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तीर्थस्य नाम

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Motion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-निर्देश

• विप्रार्थम्: for a Brahmin's sake
• विप्रार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of); तत्पुरुष (विप्रस्य अर्थः)

• आनीतम्: brought
• आनीतम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सुवर्णम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karta/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• जात्यम्: pure/true (of its kind)
• जात्यम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात्य (प्रातिपदिक; जाति + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् सुवर्णम्

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (हेतु/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (particle)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kanakhala

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solar eclipse darkens the sky; King Sumati stands at the ghat of Kanakhala holding vessels of pure gold intended for brāhmaṇas; priests and pilgrims gather for parva snāna.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Sumati
• Kanakhala Tīrtha
• Sūrya-grahaṇa (solar eclipse)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Eclipse-times intensify religious merit; charity intended for brāhmaṇas at a tīrtha is praised as dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kanakhala tīrtha, visited specifically at the sacred time of a solar eclipse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage to a tīrtha at grahaṇa-time and dāna—especially gifting gold for brāhmaṇas.