Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

औषधं शाकमर्थिभ्यो दातव्यं गृह मेधिभिः । एकादशीपंचदशीचतुर्दश्यष्टमीषु च

Transliteration

auṣadhaṃ śākamarthibhyo dātavyaṃ gṛha medhibhiḥ | ekādaśīpaṃcadaśīcaturdaśyaṣṭamīṣu ca

Translation

ഗൃഹസ്ഥർ ആവശ്യക്കാരെ ഔഷധവും ശാകവും (പച്ചക്കറികളും) ദാനം ചെയ്യണം—പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഏകാദശി, പൗർണ്ണമി, ചതുര്ദശി, അഷ്ടമി ദിവസങ്ങളിൽ।

Word by Word

• औषधम्: medicine
• औषधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्म (object of दातव्यम्)

• शाकम्: vegetables/greens
• शाकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्म (object of दातव्यम्)

• अर्थिभ्यः: to those in need
• अर्थिभ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी बहुवचन; सम्प्रदान (recipient/dative)

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Kriyā (Predicate: ought-to-be-done)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेयभावः (should be given)

• गृहमेधिभिः: by householders
• गृहमेधिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहमेधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘गृहस्य मेधी’/‘गृहमेधिन्’ = householder); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; कर्तृ/करणभावे (agent/instrument: by householders)

• एकादशीपञ्चदशीचतुर्दश्यष्टमीषु: on the eleventh, fifteenth, fourteenth, and eighth lunar days
• एकादशीपञ्चदशीचतुर्दश्यष्टमीषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी + पञ्चदशी + चतुर्दशी + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (enumeration of tithis); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचन; अधिकरण (locative: on these days)

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

Speaker

Sārasvata (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder at a tīrtha town distributes herbal medicine and bundles of greens to the needy; a lunar calendar marks Ekādaśī and other tithis; recipients include a sick traveler and a mendicant.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a sacred kṣetra, compassion becomes practice: householders sanctify time by supporting the needy with food and medicine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, linking charity to the merit of the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of medicine and vegetables, especially on Ekādaśī, Pañcadaśī, Caturdaśī, and Aṣṭamī tithis.