Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तस्माद्देशे च काले च सुपात्रे विधिना नरः । शुभार्जितं प्रयुञ्जीत श्रद्धया शाठ्यवर्जितः

Transliteration

tasmāddeśe ca kāle ca supātre vidhinā naraḥ | śubhārjitaṃ prayuñjīta śraddhayā śāṭhyavarjitaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് യോജ്യമായ ദേശത്തും യോജ്യമായ കാലത്തും, വിധിപ്രകാരം, മനുഷ്യൻ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ വഞ്ചന ഒഴിവാക്കി, സദാചാരമായി സമ്പാദിച്ച ധനം സുപാത്രനു ദാനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ अपादान (therefore/from that reason)

• देशे: in the proper place
• देशे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• काले: at the proper time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• सुपात्रे: in/for a worthy recipient
• सुपात्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सु-पात्र = उत्तमं पात्रम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• विधिना: according to rule
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण (by proper rule)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• शुभार्जितम्: honestly/virtuously earned
• शुभार्जितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जित (कृदन्त; √अर्ज् धातु)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपदसमास (शुभेन अर्जितम्), भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (धन/द्रव्य)-विशेषण

• प्रयुञ्जीत: should employ/use
• प्रयुञ्जीत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण (with faith)

• शाठ्यवर्जितः: free from deceit
• शाठ्यवर्जितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त; √वृज्/वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शाठ्यं वर्जितः = शाठ्येन रहितः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नर-विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a sincere donor offers cleanly earned wealth to a serene, learned recipient at an auspicious moment; the scene is orderly—ritual vessels, witnesses, and a calm sacred atmosphere—contrasting with deceit-free clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes truly dharmic when it is done at the right time and place, to a worthy recipient, with faith and without hypocrisy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region) as presented in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription for dāna: give lawfully earned wealth according to proper procedure, considering deśa (place), kāla (time), and supātra (worthy recipient).