Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

अश्वं सास्तरणं दत्त्वा खलीनेन च संयुतम् । अश्वराजबलात्स्वर्गे मोदते ब्राह्मवासरम्

Transliteration

aśvaṃ sāstaraṇaṃ dattvā khalīnena ca saṃyutam | aśvarājabalātsvarge modate brāhmavāsaram

Translation

ജീനാസ്തരണത്തോടും കടിവാളും സജ്ജീകരണങ്ങളും ചേർന്ന കുതിര ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, ആ ‘അശ്വരാജ’ത്തിന്റെ ശക്തിയാൽ സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ ഒരു ദിവസത്തോളം ആനന്ദിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अश्वम्: a horse
• अश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• स-अस्तरणम्: with a covering/saddle-cloth
• स-अस्तरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + अस्तरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (अश्वस्य); अव्ययीभावः = 'with a covering/saddle-cloth'

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• खलीनेन: with a bridle
• खलीनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संयुतम्: joined/equipped
• संयुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (अश्वस्य)

• अश्वराजबलात्: by the power of the horse-king
• अश्वराजबलात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + राज + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वपादान (cause/source)

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• मोदते: rejoices
• मोदते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ब्राह्मवासरम्: for a Brahmā-day (duration)
• ब्राह्मवासरम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्म + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (कालवाचकं—'a Brahmā-day')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Skanda Purāṇa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-donor at a coastal Prabhāsa shrine offers a richly caparisoned horse with saddle-cloth and bridle to a seated brāhmaṇa; above, a luminous svarga-vista hints at Brahmā’s day-length enjoyment.

Characters & Entities

• Aśva (horse)
• Svarga
• Brahmā (brāhma-vāsara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Generous, complete gifts (with proper accessories) are taught to yield vast heavenly enjoyment as fruit of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśva-dāna: donating a horse along with its covering and bridle/tack.