Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तिलपात्रं प्रदातव्यं दीपं गाः कांचना दिकम् । यमदेवं समुद्दिश्य मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Transliteration

tilapātraṃ pradātavyaṃ dīpaṃ gāḥ kāṃcanā dikam | yamadevaṃ samuddiśya mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ

Translation

എള്ളുപാത്രം, ദീപം, പശുക്കൾ, സ്വർണം എന്നിവ ദാനമായി നൽകണം; യമദേവനെ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച് അർപ്പിച്ചാൽ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നും മോചനം ലഭിക്കും।

Word by Word

• तिलपात्रम्: a sesame-vessel (vessel of sesame)
• तिलपात्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तिलानां पात्रम्)

• प्रदातव्यम्: should be given
• प्रदातव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/Obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय/कर्तव्यता (to be given)

• दीपम्: a lamp
• दीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• कांचना: gold (a piece of gold)
• कांचना: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; रूपम्: काञ्चनम् अपेक्षितम्, पाठे 'कांचना' इति रूप-भेद/प्राकृत-प्रभाव सम्भव

• दिकम्: a direction/quarter
• दिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• यमदेवम्: Yama, the god
• यमदेवम्: Karma (Object of samuddiśya/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (यमः एव देवः)

• समुद्दिश्य: having dedicated/aimed at
• समुद्दिश्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + दिश् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव कृदन्त (Gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having addressed/dedicated to)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• सर्वपातकैः: from all sins
• सर्वपातकैः: Apadana (Separation/from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/अपादानार्थेऽपि), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि पातकानि)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yameśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor presents a sesame-filled vessel and a lit lamp before the shrine; cows are ceremonially gifted; gold is offered to a worthy recipient, all dedicated to Yama as Dharmarāja.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Tiladāna
• Dīpadāna
• Godāna
• Kāñcana-dāna
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna offered with right intention—dedicated to the deity of Dharma—functions as purificatory practice and supports ethical living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s Yameśvara context, where gifts are offered with Yama in mind.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer sesame in a vessel, perform lamp-gifting, donate cows and gold, dedicating the merit to Lord Yama for release from sins.