Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दीनांधकृपणेभ्यश्च दानं कार्पटिकेषु च । वृषभस्तत्र दातव्यः प्रवृत्ते क्रूरकर्मणि । उपवासं ततः कुर्यात्तस्मिन्नहनि भामिनि

Transliteration

dīnāṃdhakṛpaṇebhyaśca dānaṃ kārpaṭikeṣu ca | vṛṣabhastatra dātavyaḥ pravṛtte krūrakarmaṇi | upavāsaṃ tataḥ kuryāttasminnahani bhāmini

Translation

ദീനരും അന്ധരും കൃപണരും ദരിദ്രഭിക്ഷുക്കളും ആയവർക്കു യഥാശക്തി ദാനം ചെയ്യണം. ആ സ്ഥലത്ത് ക്രൂരകർമ്മപ്രവൃത്തി ഉയരുമ്പോൾ വൃഷഭദാനം ചെയ്യേണ്ടതാണ്; തുടർന്ന്, ഹേ സുന്ദരീ, ആ ദിനത്തിൽ ഉപവാസം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• dīnāndhakṛpaṇebhyaḥ: from/for the poor, the blind, and the destitute
• dīnāndhakṛpaṇebhyaḥ: Apādāna (Source/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīna (दीन) + andha (अन्ध) + kṛpaṇa (कृपण)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (दीनाः अन्धाः कृपणाः); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतौ), बहुवचन

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

• dānam: gift/charity
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (दान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (क्रियायाः कर्मरूपेण)

• kārpaṭikeṣu: among beggars/poor folk
• kārpaṭikeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārpaṭika (कार्पटिक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

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

• vṛṣabhaḥ: a bull
• vṛṣabhaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣabha (वृषभ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb) — 'there'

• dātavyaḥ: should be given
• dātavyaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'to be given/should be given'

• pravṛtte: when (it is) in progress/when engaged
• pravṛtte: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-vṛt (प्रवृत् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) 'engaged/ongoing'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (क्रूरकर्मणि विशेषण)

• krūrakarmaṇi: in cruel acts/when cruel action is underway
• krūrakarmaṇi: Adhikaraṇa (Condition/Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krūra (क्रूर) + karman (कर्मन्)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (क्रूरं कर्म); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• upavāsam: fasting
• upavāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavāsa (उपवास प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• kuryāt: should do/undertake
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tasmin: on that
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अहनि इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• ahani: day
• ahani: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (अहन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhāmini: O lovely lady
• bhāmini: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (भामिनी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced); addressee within verse: Bhāminī (a lady, likely Devī in the ongoing dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Someśvara/Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhāminī (addressed as ‘O fair lady’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, pilgrims approach the Someśvara shrine; a donor offers food and cloth to the poor and blind, and presents a decorated bull as vṛṣabha-dāna; the devotee then undertakes a solemn fast.

Characters & Entities

• Dīnas (poor)
• Andhas (blind)
• Kṛpaṇas (destitute)
• Kārpaṭikas (rag-clad mendicants/very poor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage merit is perfected through compassion—supporting the vulnerable, making significant gifts, and practicing self-restraint via fasting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where dāna and upavāsa are highlighted as tīrtha-enhancing disciplines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give charity to the poor/blind/destitute and needy mendicants; perform vṛṣabha-dāna; observe upavāsa (fasting) that day.