Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

धर्मश्रवणसंयुक्तं कार्यं प्रेक्षणकं विभोः । ततो दद्याद्द्विजातिभ्यस्तपस्विभ्यश्च शक्तितः

Transliteration

dharmaśravaṇasaṃyuktaṃ kāryaṃ prekṣaṇakaṃ vibhoḥ | tato dadyāddvijātibhyastapasvibhyaśca śaktitaḥ

Translation

ധർമ്മശ്രവണത്തോടുകൂടിയ പ്രഭുവിന്റെ പവിത്ര പ്രേക്ഷണകം (ധാർമ്മിക പരിപാടി) നടത്തണം. തുടർന്ന് ശേഷിയനുസരിച്ച് ദ്വിജന്മാർക്കും തപസ്വികൾക്കും ദാനം നൽകണം.

Word by Word

• dharmaśravaṇasaṃyuktam: connected with hearing of dharma
• dharmaśravaṇasaṃyuktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (धर्म) + śravaṇa (श्रवण) + saṃyukta (संयुक्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मश्रवणेन संयुक्तम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कार्यं विशेषयति)

• kāryam: a thing to be done/should be performed
• kāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (कार्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prekṣaṇakam: a spectacle/observance for viewing
• prekṣaṇakam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prekṣaṇaka (प्रेक्षणक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कार्यं विशेषयति)

• vibhoḥ: of the Lord
• vibhoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (विभु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — 'then/thereafter'

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• dvijātibhyaḥ: to the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• dvijātibhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijāti (द्विजाति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• tapasvibhyaḥ: to ascetics
• tapasvibhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvin (तपस्विन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• śaktitaḥ: according to one’s capacity
• śaktitaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/Measure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śakti (शक्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — 'according to ability'

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred performance (prekṣaṇaka)—devotional drama or recitation—unfolds in a temple courtyard; listeners sit attentively as dharma is expounded; afterward, pilgrims distribute gifts to brāhmaṇas and austere sages, offering cloth bundles and food with bowed heads.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhu (the Lord—Śiva implied)
• Dvijātis
• Tapasvins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True pilgrimage combines devotion with dharma-learning and compassionate giving to worthy recipients.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where dharma-śravaṇa and dāna are framed as integral to the tīrtha’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Conduct a dharma-centered religious presentation and then give gifts to dvijātis and tapasvins according to one’s means.