Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

जांबूनदमयं दिव्यं विमानं सूर्यसन्निभम् । दिव्याप्सरोभिः संकीर्णमन्नदो लभतेऽक्षयम्

Transliteration

jāṃbūnadamayaṃ divyaṃ vimānaṃ sūryasannibham | divyāpsarobhiḥ saṃkīrṇamannado labhate'kṣayam

Translation

അന്നദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ അക്ഷയഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു—ജാംബൂനദ സ്വർണ്ണമയമായ ദിവ്യ വിമാനം, സൂര്യസന്നിഭമായ ദീപ്തിയോടെ, ദിവ്യ അപ്സരസ്സുകളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞത്।

Word by Word

• जांबूनदमयम्: made of Jāmbūnada gold
• जांबूनदमयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाम्बूनद-मय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (जाम्बूनदेन मयम् = made of Jāmbūnada-gold)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• विमानम्: celestial chariot
• विमानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सूर्यसन्निभम्: sun-like
• सूर्यसन्निभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य-सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (सूर्येण सन्निभम् = like the sun)

• दिव्य-अप्सरोभिः: with divine apsarases
• दिव्य-अप्सरोभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य-अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन; कर्मधारयसमास (दिव्याः अप्सरसः)

• संकीर्णम्: filled/crowded
• संकीर्णम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + कृ (धातु) → संकीर्ण (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (विमानम्)

• अन्नदः: the giver of food
• अन्नदः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्नद (प्रातिपदिक; उपपद-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अन्नं ददाति इति)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अक्षयम्: imperishable (reward)
• अक्षयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; कर्मपदम् (फलरूपम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narration style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (anna-dāna in śrāddha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A golden, sun-bright vimāna descends in the sky above the coastal tīrtha; apsarases surround it as the donor completes anna-dāna during śrāddha.

Characters & Entities

• Apsarases

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Annadāna (the gift of food) is exalted as a source of akṣaya merit and heavenly attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, highlighting Prabhāsa as a potent field for śrāddha and dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving food (anna-dāna), especially in the śrāddha context, with the promise of imperishable fruit.