Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दर्शे च पौर्णमास्यां च कर्त्तव्यं चाग्निहोत्रजम् । प्राशनं दक्षिणादानं पुरोडाश इति क्रिया

Transliteration

darśe ca paurṇamāsyāṃ ca karttavyaṃ cāgnihotrajam | prāśanaṃ dakṣiṇādānaṃ puroḍāśa iti kriyā

Translation

അമാവാസിയും പൗർണ്ണമിയും അഗ്നിഹോത്രബന്ധിത കര്‍മ്മം ചെയ്യണം—അർപ്പിതം പ്രാശനം ചെയ്യൽ, ദക്ഷിണാദാനം, പുരോഡാശ അർപ്പണം; ഇതാണ് വിധി.

Word by Word

• दर्शे: on the new-moon rite/day (darśa)
• दर्शे: अधिकरण (Location/time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masculine, locative, singular)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon (rite/day)
• पौर्णमास्याम्: अधिकरण (Location/time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (feminine, locative, singular)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कर्त्तव्यम्: to be performed
• कर्त्तव्यम्: विधेय (obligatory predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अग्निहोत्रजम्: arising from/connected with the agnihotra
• अग्निहोत्रजम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of implied कर्म/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्निहोत्र + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—अग्निहोत्र-ज (तत्पुरुषः: ‘born from/pertaining to agnihotra’)

• प्राशनम्: eating/partaking
• प्राशनम्: कर्ता/विशेष्य (Subject: item of ritual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter, nominative, singular)

• दक्षिणा: fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• दानम्: giving of the fee
• दानम्: कर्ता/विशेष्य (Subject: item of ritual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter, nominative, singular); समासः—दक्षिणा-दान (तत्पुरुषः: ‘giving of dakṣiṇā’)

• पुरोडाशः: puroḍāśa (sacrificial cake)
• पुरोडाशः: कर्ता/विशेष्य (Subject: item of ritual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोडाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• इति: thus/namely
• इति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• क्रिया: (this is) the ritual act
• क्रिया: समाहार/परिभाषा (appositional summary)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a householder and priests conduct a new-moon/full-moon fire rite: puroḍāśa cakes are offered, dakṣiṇā is presented, and the ritual tasting is performed in a solemn sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Agnihotra
• Darśa
• Paurṇamāsa
• Dakṣiṇā
• Puroḍāśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular observance of lunar-cycle yajñas with proper offerings and respectful giving sustains dharma and purifies the worshipper.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where correct Vedic observance is taught as part of the site’s mahatmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Darśa and Paurṇamāsa-related Agnihotra rites, including prāśana, dakṣiṇā-dāna, and offering of puroḍāśa.