Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

यात्रायां प्रथमं देवि दृष्टो येनार्कभास्करः । तं दृष्ट्वा महिषीं दद्याद्ब्राह्मणाय विपश्चिते

Transliteration

yātrāyāṃ prathamaṃ devi dṛṣṭo yenārkabhāskaraḥ | taṃ dṛṣṭvā mahiṣīṃ dadyādbrāhmaṇāya vipaścite

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി, തീർത്ഥയാത്രയുടെ തുടക്കത്തിൽ തന്നെ ആരാണ് അർക്ക-ഭാസ്കരനായ ദീപ്തിമാൻ സൂര്യനെ ദർശിക്കുന്നതോ, അവനെ ദർശിച്ച ശേഷം ജ്ഞാനിയായ ബ്രാഹ്മണന് ഒരു മഹിഷിയെ ദാനമായി നൽകണം.

Word by Word

• यात्रायाम्: on the pilgrimage/journey
• यात्रायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kala (Time/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः; क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (first/at first)

• देवि: O goddess/lady
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (was seen)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (by whom)

• अर्कभास्करः: Arka, the Sun
• अर्कभास्करः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क-भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक; अर्क + भास्कर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासे समानाधिकरण (arka-sun)

• तम्: him/that (Sun)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• महिषीम्: a buffalo-cow (female buffalo)
• महिषीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; दानविधान (should give)

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• विपश्चिते: wise/learned
• विपश्चिते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण (ब्राह्मणस्य)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Surya-darśana at yātrā-prārambha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn on the Prabhāsa shore, the pilgrim beholds the rising Sun; immediately afterward, a ceremonial gift of a buffalo is offered to a wise Brāhmaṇa, with witnesses and ritual water-pouring (saṅkalpa).

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Arka
• Bhāskara
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage begins with reverent darśana of Sūrya, and gratitude is expressed through dharmic charity to the learned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a sacred field where Sūrya-darśana and dāna yield merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahiṣī-dāna—gifting a buffalo to a wise Brāhmaṇa after beholding Sūrya at the start of the yātrā.