Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अथ तद्गोधनं दृष्ट्वा भूरि दानार्थमाहृतम् । भ्रातृभ्यां त्रितये चेति पापा मतिरजायत

Transliteration

atha tadgodhanaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhūri dānārthamāhṛtam | bhrātṛbhyāṃ tritaye ceti pāpā matirajāyata

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ദാനാർത്ഥമായി കൊണ്ടുവന്ന ആ മഹത്തായ ഗോധനം കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, ആ രണ്ടു സഹോദരന്മാരുടെ മനസ്സിൽ പാപബുദ്ധി ഉദിച്ചു—“ഇത് ത്രിതന്റെയും, ഞങ്ങളുടെയും (കയ്യടക്കാൻ)!”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• गोधनम्: cattle-wealth
• गोधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• भूरि: much, abundant
• भूरि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूरि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाणवाचक (quantifier/adverb)

• दानार्थम्: for the purpose of giving (as donation)
• दानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose)

• आहृतम्: brought, fetched
• आहृतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + हृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); गोधनस्य विशेषणम्

• भ्रातृभ्याम्: by the two brothers
• भ्रातृभ्याम्: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन (Dual)

• त्रितये: for Trita
• त्रितये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-वचनपरिसमाप्तिबोधक (quotative/marker)

• पापा: sinful, wicked
• पापा: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• मतिः: thought, intention
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अजायत: arose, was born
• अजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two elder brothers gaze at the abundant herd meant for charitable gifting; their faces darken with envy and greed, while the sacred aura of Prabhāsa contrasts with their rising sinful intent.

Characters & Entities

• Trita
• two brothers
• Prabhāsa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth meant for dharma becomes a test; greed and appropriation of dāna corrupt the mind and lead to adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The moral drama unfolds upon reaching Prabhāsa-kṣetra, reinforcing its role as a stage for dharmic testing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable gifting) is explicitly referenced as the intended purpose of the cattle-wealth.