Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कानि दानानि शस्तानि कस्मै देयानि कान्यपि । कालं देशं च पात्रं च सर्वमाचक्ष्व मे विभो

Transliteration

kāni dānāni śastāni kasmai deyāni kānyapi | kālaṃ deśaṃ ca pātraṃ ca sarvamācakṣva me vibho

Translation

ഏതു ദാനങ്ങളാണ് പ്രശംസനീയങ്ങൾ? ഏതു ദാനം ആര്ക്ക് നൽകണം? കൂടാതെ യുക്തമായ കാലം, ദേശം, പാത്രം—ഇവയെല്ലാം എനിക്ക് പൂർണ്ണമായി പറഞ്ഞു തരിക, ഹേ പ്രഭോ.

Word by Word

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• दानानि: gifts; donations
• दानानि: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन

• शस्तानि: commended; proper
• शस्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त (कृदन्त; √शंस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (praised/commended)

• कस्मै: to whom
• कस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• देयानि: should be given
• देयानि: Vidhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देय (कृदन्त; √दा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; भाव्य/कर्तव्य (gerundive: 'to be given')

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक (also/even)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• देशम्: place
• देशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पात्रम्: recipient; worthy person
• पात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सर्वम्: all (of this)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• आचक्ष्व: tell; explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• मे: to me; for me
• मे: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī’s inquiry becomes systematic: she enumerates the axes of dharmic giving—gift types, recipients, time, place—requesting a complete exposition from the Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Vibhu (Īśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit depends on right discernment—what is given, to whom, and under what conditions (time and place).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The framework remains Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for complete criteria for dāna: kāla (timing), deśa (location), and pātra (recipient).