Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 106

Devanagari script

अष्टम्यां वृषभं दत्त्वा नीलं लक्षणसंयुतम् । नवम्यां तु गृहं दद्याच्चक्रं शंखं गदां तथा

Transliteration

aṣṭamyāṃ vṛṣabhaṃ dattvā nīlaṃ lakṣaṇasaṃyutam | navamyāṃ tu gṛhaṃ dadyāccakraṃ śaṃkhaṃ gadāṃ tathā

Translation

അഷ്ടമിയിൽ നീലവർണ്ണവും ശുഭലക്ഷണസമ്പന്നവുമായ വൃഷഭത്തെ ദാനം ചെയ്താൽ പുണ്യം ലഭിക്കുന്നു. നവമിയിൽ ഗൃഹദാനം ചെയ്യണം; കൂടാതെ ചക്രം, ശംഖം, ഗദ (വിഷ്ണുചിഹ്നങ്ങൾ)യും അർപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (tithi)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथिवाचकः

• वृषभम्: a bull
• वृषभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having given)

• नीलम्: blue/dark-colored
• नीलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वृषभम्)

• लक्षणसंयुतम्: endowed with marks
• लक्षणसंयुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (लक्षणैः संयुक्तः); विशेषणम् (of the bull)

• नवम्याम्: on the ninth (tithi)
• नवम्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नवमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथिवाचकः

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थ-निपातः (but/indeed)

• गृहम्: a house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Potential), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (should give)

• चक्रम्: a discus
• चक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शङ्खम्: a conch
• शङ्खम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गदाम्: a mace
• गदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ-क्रियाविशेषणम् (also/likewise)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aṣṭamī: a blue-hued bull with auspicious markings, garlanded and led to donation; Navamī: a symbolic house-gift (miniature model or deed) and sacred emblems—discus, conch, mace—presented on a tray before priests near the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭamī
• Navamī
• Vṛṣabha
• Cakra
• Śaṅkha
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

High-value gifts and symbolically charged offerings, when given in a tīrtha, become vehicles of great puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within its tithi-based prescription of gifts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aṣṭamī: donate an auspiciously marked blue bull; Navamī: donate a house and offerings associated with cakra, śaṅkha, and gadā.