Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

दधिकंबलदानं तु तत्र देयं द्विजोत्तमे । कथितं पापशमनं सारात्सारतरं ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

dadhikaṃbaladānaṃ tu tatra deyaṃ dvijottame | kathitaṃ pāpaśamanaṃ sārātsārataraṃ dhruvam

Translation

അവിടെ, ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ, ദധി-കംബളദാനം നൽകേണ്ടതാണ്. അത് പാപശമനകരം, സാരത്തിലും സാരതരം എന്നു നിശ്ചയമായി പ്രസ്താവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• दधिकम्बलदानम्: the gift of curd and a blanket
• दधिकम्बलदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक) + कम्बल (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दधि-कम्बलयोः दानम् / दधि-कम्बल-दानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (here: Nominative singular)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'indeed')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• देयम्: to be given
• देयम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्य/योग्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive: 'to be given'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'दानम्' इत्यर्थे विधेयविशेषणम्

• द्विजोत्तमे: O best of the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (द्विजेषु उत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Locative singular; संबोधनार्थे/सम्बोधन-प्राय)

• कथितम्: declared
• कथितम्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle: 'said/declared'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'पापशमनम्' इति विशेषणम्

• पापशमनम्: removal of sin
• पापशमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + शमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पापस्य शमनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (here: Nominative singular)

• सारात्: than the essence
• सारात्: Apadana (Comparison source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (Ablative singular: 'than/from essence')

• सारतरम्: more excellent
• सारतरम्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक) + तरप् (तद्धित, comparative)
• Form: तद्धितान्त-तुलनात्मक (comparative: 'more excellent'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'पापशमनम्' इति विशेषणम्

• ध्रुवम्: certain, assured
• ध्रुवम्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निश्चयार्थक विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim presents a folded woolen blanket and a pot of fresh curd to a venerable brāhmaṇa near a shrine/ghat at Prabhāsa; Śiva’s presence is implied by a liṅga and bilva leaves; the act radiates as a cleansing aura.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (twice-born addressee)
• Dāna (charity)
• Prabhāsa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma elevates specific acts of charity at sacred sites as powerful means for pāpa-śamana (sin pacification).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where a particular dāna is singled out as especially effective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dadhikaṃbala-dāna: offering a ‘curd-blanket’ gift (as named in the text) at the kṣetra.