Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तिल दानं तु देवेशि तत्र शस्तं सकाञ्चनम् । पितॄणां वल्लभं तीर्थं नित्यं चैव तु भामिनि

Transliteration

tila dānaṃ tu deveśi tatra śastaṃ sakāñcanam | pitṝṇāṃ vallabhaṃ tīrthaṃ nityaṃ caiva tu bhāmini

Translation

ഹേ ദേവേശീ, അവിടെ സ്വർണ്ണസഹിതമായ എള്ളുദാനം അത്യന്തം പ്രശംസനീയമാണ്. ഹേ ഭാമിനി, ആ തീർത്ഥം പിതൃകൾക്ക് നിത്യപ്രിയമാണ്.

Word by Word

• तिल: sesame
• तिल: Karman (Object within nominal phrase)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र दानस्य विशेष्य (sesame)

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Karta (Topic/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वाक्ये विषय/उपदेश्य (the act of giving)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphasis/contrast)

• देवेशि: O goddess (lady of the gods)
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधन (vocative)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• शस्तम्: recommended
• शस्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (praised/recommended)

• सकाञ्चनम्: along with gold
• सकाञ्चनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव: काञ्चनेन सह (together with gold)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• वल्लभम्: dear/pleasing
• वल्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (dear/pleasing)

• तीर्थम्: holy place/pilgrimage spot
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (accusative used adverbially), कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात

• भामिनि: O lovely lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tritakūpa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Deveśi/Bhāminī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers a small vessel of black sesame and a gold coin/ornament to a brāhmaṇa near the kund; pitṛs are suggested as satisfied presences; the tīrtha appears timeless and serene.

Characters & Entities

• Tritakūpa
• Pitṛs
• tila-dāna
• kāñcana (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity aligned with sacred place and purpose—especially for the welfare of ancestors—becomes a powerful dharmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tritakūpa tīrtha at Prabhāsakṣetra, described as especially beloved to the Pitṛs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tila-dāna (donation of sesame), recommended with kāñcana (gold), as an offering connected to pitṛ-related merit.