Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अपि स्यात्स कुलेऽस्माकं भविष्यति धृतव्रतः । गोपीचन्दनदानेन यस्तोषयति वैष्णवान्

Transliteration

api syātsa kule'smākaṃ bhaviṣyati dhṛtavrataḥ | gopīcandanadānena yastoṣayati vaiṣṇavān

Translation

ഞങ്ങളുടെ കുലത്തിൽ വ്രതത്തിൽ ദൃഢനായ ഒരാൾ ഉണ്ടാകട്ടെ; ഗോപീചന്ദനം ദാനം ചെയ്ത് വൈഷ്ണവരെ സന്തോഷിപ്പിക്കും।

Word by Word

• api: even; also
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), सम्भावनार्थे/अपि

• syāt: may be
• syāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kule: in the family
• kule: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (कुल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• asmākam: of us; our
• asmākam: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• dhṛta-vrataḥ: one who has taken/kept a vow
• dhṛta-vrataḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛta (धृत; √dhṛ धृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्यय) + vrata (व्रत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: 'धृतं व्रतं येन/धृतव्रतः' (one who has undertaken a vow); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• gopī-candana-dānena: by the gift of gopī-candana (sacred sandal paste)
• gopī-candana-dānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopīcandana (गोपीचन्दन प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (दान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (instrumental sense via final inflection): 'गोपीचन्दनस्य दानेन'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः

• toṣayati: pleases; satisfies
• toṣayati: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tuṣ (तुष् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; causative sense not marked here (simple present 'pleases')

• vaiṣṇavān: Vaiṣṇavas; devotees of Viṣṇu
• vaiṣṇavān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiṣṇava (वैष्णव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Pitṛs (ancestors), as quoted within the Dvārakā-māhātmya context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow-observing devotee offers packets of gopī-candana to a gathering of Vaiṣṇavas; tilaka is applied, and the assembly blesses the donor.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Vaiṣṇavas
• Gopī-candana
• Dāna
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to devotees through purposeful dāna, combined with steadfast vows, is praised as a high form of Vaiṣṇava dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s devotional ecosystem, where serving Vaiṣṇavas is treated as part of the site’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of gopī-candana to Vaiṣṇavas, alongside being dhṛtavrata (firm in vows).