Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

लिखित्वा तच्च यो दद्याद्धेमपद्मसमन्वितम् । मार्गशीर्षे विधानेन तिलधेनुयुतं तथा । तच्च षोडशसाहस्रं सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम्

Transliteration

likhitvā tacca yo dadyāddhemapadmasamanvitam | mārgaśīrṣe vidhānena tiladhenuyutaṃ tathā | tacca ṣoḍaśasāhasraṃ sarvakratuphalapradam

Translation

ആ ഗ്രന്ഥം പകർത്തെഴുതിച്ച് സ്വർണ്ണപദ്മത്തോടുകൂടി ദാനം ചെയ്യുകയും, മാർഗശീർഷ മാസത്തിൽ വിധിപ്രകാരം തിലധേനുവോടുകൂടിയും അർപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവന്—അത് പതിനാറായിരം ശ്ലോകപരിമിതിയുള്ളതും സർവയാഗഫലപ്രദവുമെന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം।

Word by Word

• लिखित्वा: having written
• लिखित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालक्रिया (prior action), अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगसदृश (indeclinable-like usage)

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• हेमपद्मसमन्वितम्: endowed with a golden lotus
• हेमपद्मसमन्वितम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (सम्+अन्वि/अन्वि?; समन्वित-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of तत्); समासः: हेमपद्मेन समन्वितम् (instrumental-tatpurusha sense)

• मार्गशीर्षे: in (the month of) Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• तिलधेनुयुतम्: accompanied by a sesame-cow (gift)
• तिलधेनुयुतम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तत्); समासः: तिलधेन्वा युतम् (instrumental-tatpurusha sense)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• तत्: that (gift/act)
• तत्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• षोडशसाहस्रम्: sixteen-thousand (in measure/value)
• षोडशसाहस्रम्: Karta (Subject-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (numerical compound)

• सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम्: bestowing the fruit of all sacrifices
• सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम्: Karta (Subject-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तत्); समासः: सर्वेषां क्रतूनां फलप्रदम् (genitive-tatpurusha sense)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual donation tableau: a copied manuscript offered with a golden lotus emblem and a symbolic ‘tila-dhenu’ (cow figure or cow with sesame donation), officiants reciting rules; Mārgaśīrṣa winter clarity, temple lamps and orderly ritual space.

Characters & Entities

• Mārgaśīrṣa
• Tiladhenu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture-dāna performed with prescribed symbolic gifts can equal the merit of many sacrifices, highlighting devotion and generosity as powerful dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The guidance belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, where acts of dāna are portrayed as especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate a written text with a golden lotus, and in Mārgaśīrṣa additionally offer a tiladhenu (sesame-cow) according to rule.