Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

महोदयं महानन्ददायकं च द्विजन्मनाम् । प्रतिग्रहप्रसक्तानां विषयासक्तचेतसाम् । तेषामपि ददेन्मुक्तिं तेन ख्यातं महोदयम्

Transliteration

mahodayaṃ mahānandadāyakaṃ ca dvijanmanām | pratigrahaprasaktānāṃ viṣayāsaktacetasām | teṣāmapi dadenmuktiṃ tena khyātaṃ mahodayam

Translation

മഹോദയം ദ്വിജന്മാർക്ക് മഹാനന്ദം നൽകുന്നതാണ്. ദാനം സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നതിൽ കുടുങ്ങി വിഷയാസക്തചിത്തരായവർക്കും ഇത് മോക്ഷം നൽകുന്നു; അതുകൊണ്ടാണ് ‘മഹോദയം’ എന്ന് പ്രസിദ്ധം.

Word by Word

• महोदयम्: Mahodaya (the sacred place/auspiciousness)
• महोदयम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + उदय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — कर्मधारयः (‘great’ + ‘rise/auspiciousness’), here name of tīrtha

• महानन्ददायकम्: giver of great joy
• महानन्ददायकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महानन्द + दायक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘giver of great bliss’), qualifying महोदयम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय (conjunction)

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — द्विगु-समासः (‘twice-born’), genitive plural ‘of the twice-born’

• प्रतिग्रहप्रसक्तानाम्: of those addicted to receiving gifts
• प्रतिग्रहप्रसक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिग्रह + प्रसक्त (सज्-धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — ‘of those attached to accepting gifts’ (genitive plural)

• विषयासक्तचेतसाम्: whose minds are attached to sense-objects
• विषयासक्तचेतसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषय + आसक्त + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘mind attached to objects’), qualifying the same group

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — ‘of them’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अवधान/समुच्चय (also/even)

• ददेत्: should grant
• ददेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘should give/bestow’

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘liberation’

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — ‘therefore/by that’

• ख्यातम्: is renowned/called
• ख्यातम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘renowned/called’)

• महोदयम्: Mahodaya
• महोदयम्: Karman/Pratijna (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + उदय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — predicate/apposition with ख्यातम्

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahodaya

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahodaya depicted as a radiant tīrtha where even burdened priests and householders—shown with heavy gift-bundles and distracted gazes—arrive, bathe, and emerge transformed: faces serene, hands in prayer; a luminous upward movement motif (udaya) suggests liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Mahodaya
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s grace is portrayed as exceeding personal weakness: sincere approach to Mahodaya can transform attachment into liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahodaya tīrtha in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, undertaking Mahodaya’s tīrtha-practice (especially snāna and related rites) as a means toward purification and mokṣa.