Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

गाथां शृणोति यो विष्णोर्गीतं च गायतः पथि । दानं ददाति विप्रेन्द्रास्तस्माद्धन्यतरो न हि

Transliteration

gāthāṃ śṛṇoti yo viṣṇorgītaṃ ca gāyataḥ pathi | dānaṃ dadāti viprendrāstasmāddhanyataro na hi

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രാ! വഴിയിൽ വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ ഗാഥകൾ ശ്രവിക്കുകയും, പാടപ്പെടുന്ന കീർത്തനങ്ങൾ കേട്ട് താനും പാടുകയും, ദാനം നൽകുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവനേക്കാൾ ധന്യൻ മറ്റാരുമില്ല।

Word by Word

• गाथाम्: a hymn/verse
• गाथाम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• शृणोति: hears
• शृणोति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• गीतम्: song, chant
• गीतम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक; √गै/√गाय् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गायतः: of (one) singing
• गायतः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गायत् (कृदन्त, √गै/√गाय् धातु; शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); वर्तमान-कृदन्त

• पथि: on the road
• पथि: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• दानम्: a gift, charity
• दानम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्राः: सम्बोधन/उद्देश्य (Addressed audience)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); ‘विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः’/‘विप्र-इन्द्राः’ इति कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठ-विप्राः)

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: हेतु/अपादान (Cause/source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति तद्धित-प्रयोगवत् अव्ययीभूतं; अपादानार्थे (ablatival sense)

• धन्यतरः: more blessed
• धन्यतरः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Predicate comparative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

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

• हि: indeed, surely
• हि: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/justification)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim caravan on a dusty road to Dvārakā; one group sings Viṣṇu-stotras while another listens; the central pilgrim offers alms to a venerable brāhmaṇa under a roadside tree; distant hint of the sea-breeze and temple silhouettes.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Dvārakā
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected by devotion (hearing and singing Viṣṇu’s praises) joined with generosity (dāna).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, with emphasis on the sanctity of the journey itself as a devotional practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa of Viṣṇu-gāthā, participation in gīta/kīrtana on the road, and giving dāna (charity).