Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

हेमभारसहस्रैस्तु रविवारे रविग्रहे । कुरुक्षेत्रे यदाप्नोति गजाश्वरथदानतः

Transliteration

hemabhārasahasraistu ravivāre ravigrahe | kurukṣetre yadāpnoti gajāśvarathadānataḥ

Translation

ഞായറാഴ്ച സൂര്യഗ്രഹണസമയത്ത് കുരുക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ ആന, കുതിര, രഥം എന്നിവ ദാനം ചെയ്‌താൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യം സഹസ്ര സ്വർണ്ണഭാരത്തോട് തുല്യമെന്നു പറയുന്നു।

Word by Word

• हेमभारसहस्रैः: with thousands of loads of gold
• हेमभारसहस्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम + भार + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विशेषार्थ/विरोधार्थ

• रविवारे: on Sunday
• रविवारे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रविवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रविग्रहे: at the Sun’s eclipse/occultation (solar eclipse)
• रविग्रहे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: in Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: that which; whatever (fruit)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative)

• आप्नोति: obtains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• गजाश्वरथदानतः: from (the merit of) giving elephants, horses, and chariots
• गजाश्वरथदानतः: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + अश्व + रथ + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दानम् implied), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (from the act of giving)

Speaker

Śrī Prahlāda (contextual continuation; comparative phala statement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (explicitly addressed in nearby verses; audience context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast Kurukṣetra plain under a darkened eclipse-sky; pilgrims bathe and priests receive grand gifts—elephants, horses, and chariots—while the sun is veiled.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Ravi (Sun)
• Solar eclipse (ravigraha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas rank sacred times and places to inspire dāna; extraordinary occasions like eclipses at famed kṣetras yield immense merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra is cited as a benchmark tīrtha (in a passage ultimately praising Dwārakā/Gomatī through comparison).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna during a solar eclipse on Sunday at Kurukṣetra—specifically gifts of elephants, horses, and chariots.