Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

धरित्रीं कांचनं गाश्च जलान्नवसनानि च । तृणेन्धने प्रियां वाणीं यच्छन्याति नरो यदि

Transliteration

dharitrīṃ kāṃcanaṃ gāśca jalānnavasanāni ca | tṛṇendhane priyāṃ vāṇīṃ yacchanyāti naro yadi

Translation

ഒരു മനുഷ്യൻ ഭൂമി, സ്വർണം, പശുക്കൾ, ജലം, അന്നം, വസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ, തൃണം, ഇന്ധനം, കൂടാതെ പ്രിയമായ മധുരവാക്കുകളും ദാനം ചെയ്തുകൊണ്ട് ഈ ലോകം വിടുകയാണെങ്കിൽ, ആ ദാനമേ അവന്റെ ധർമ്മധനമാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• धरित्रीम्: land/earth
• धरित्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म (object of giving)

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; दानकर्म

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• जल: water
• जल: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• अन्न: food
• अन्न: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• वसनानि: garments
• वसनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; दानकर्म

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• तृणम्: grass
• तृणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• इन्धने: fuel/firewood
• इन्धने: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• प्रियाम्: pleasant/dear
• प्रियाम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; वाणी-विशेषण

• वाणीम्: speech/words
• वाणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; दानकर्म

• यच्छन्: giving
• यच्छन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु) [यच्छति] → यच्छत् (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Discourse connector (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-donor distributes land deeds or symbolic earth, gold, cows, water pots, food, garments, bundles of grass and firewood; alongside, he speaks gently to recipients, embodying ‘gift of speech’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is not limited to wealth; even simple necessities and kind speech are sacred gifts that build puṇya, especially in a tīrtha context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in the Prabhāsa region, as presented in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Vastrāpatha-kṣetra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice of dāna: gifting land, gold, cows, water, food, clothing, grass, fuel, and cultivating priyavākya (pleasant speech).