Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

घृतदीपप्रदानेन चक्षुष्माञ्जायते नरः । कटुतैलस्य दीपेन स्वं शत्रुं जयते नरः

Transliteration

ghṛtadīpapradānena cakṣuṣmāñjāyate naraḥ | kaṭutailasya dīpena svaṃ śatruṃ jayate naraḥ

Translation

നെയ്യ് നിറച്ച ദീപദാനം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യന്‍ നല്ല ദൃഷ്ടി ലഭിക്കുന്നു. കഠുതൈലദീപം അർപ്പിച്ചാൽ അവൻ തന്റെ ശത്രുവിനെ ജയിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ghṛtadīpapradānena: by the offering of a ghee-lamp
• ghṛtadīpapradānena: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + dīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + pradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (ghṛtasya dīpasya pradānena / ghṛta-dīpa-pradāna)

• cakṣuṣmān: clear-sighted; having good eyesight
• cakṣuṣmān: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक) + mat (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessed of eyes/vision)

• jāyate: is born/becomes
• jāyate: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (जन्)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• kaṭutailasya: of pungent oil
• kaṭutailasya: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṭu (प्रातिपदिक) + taila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (kaṭuṃ tailam)

• dīpena: by a lamp
• dīpena: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम् (instrumental)

• svam: one's own
• svam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; शत्रुं इति विशेषणम् (one's own)

• śatrum: enemy
• śatrum: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• jayate: conquers
• jayate: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (जि)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified in excerpt.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night worship at Prabhāsa: a devotee offers a bright ghee lamp before the deity; in a second vignette, a pungent-oil lamp blazes as a protective flame while shadowy adversaries retreat.

Characters & Entities

• dīpa-dāna
• Ravi (Sūrya) (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Light offered in devotion returns as inner and outer clarity—health of the senses and strength against adversity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within its māhātmya that details dīpa-dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna: donating a ghee lamp for eyesight; donating a pungent-oil lamp for victory over enemies.