Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

आपस्तंब उवाच । अर्धराज्यसमस्तं वा नाहमर्हामि पार्थिव । सदृशं दीयतां मूल्यमृषिभिः सह चिंतय

Transliteration

āpastaṃba uvāca | ardharājyasamastaṃ vā nāhamarhāmi pārthiva | sadṛśaṃ dīyatāṃ mūlyamṛṣibhiḥ saha ciṃtaya

Translation

ആപസ്തംബൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജാവേ, അർദ്ധരാജ്യമോ സമസ്തരാജ്യമോ എനിക്ക് അർഹതയില്ല. യോജ്യമായ ദാനം നൽകുക; ഋഷിമാരോടൊപ്പം ആലോചിക്കുക.

Word by Word

• आपस्तम्बः: Āpastamba
• आपस्तम्बः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपस्तम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अर्धराज्यसमस्तम्: the entire half-kingdom (offer)
• अर्धराज्यसमस्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अर्धराज्यं समस्तं) इति समाहारः

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्हामि: deserve; am worthy of
• अर्हामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सदृशम्: appropriate; fitting
• सदृशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मूल्यम्-विशेषण)

• दीयताम्: let (it) be given
• दीयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive imperative)

• मूल्यम्: price; compensation
• मूल्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऋषिभिः: with the sages
• ऋषिभिः: Sahakaraka (सह/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-योगे अव्ययम् (preposition/adverb: 'together with')

• चिन्तय: consider; think
• चिन्तय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Āpastamba

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nabhāga

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Āpastamba gently declines even a kingdom, turning toward a gathering of ṛṣis seated in a sacred grove near Prabhāsa; the king stands humbled, ready to accept their measured verdict.

Characters & Entities

• Āpastamba
• Nabhāga
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even immense gifts can be inappropriate; dharma is fulfilled by proportionate giving guided by the collective wisdom of sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where wise deliberation and ethical restraint are highlighted alongside generosity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Consultation with ṛṣis is prescribed for determining the proper form and measure of giving.