Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

वारितेनापि मे देयं सत्यमस्तु वचो मम । आत्मानमपि दारांश्च राज्यं पुत्रान्प्रियान्मम

Transliteration

vāritenāpi me deyaṃ satyamastu vaco mama | ātmānamapi dārāṃśca rājyaṃ putrānpriyānmama

Translation

എന്നെ തടഞ്ഞാലും ഞാൻ ദാനം നൽകേണ്ടതുതന്നെ—എന്റെ വാക്ക് സത്യമാകട്ടെ. ഞാൻ എന്നെത്തന്നെ, എന്റെ ഭാര്യയെ, എന്റെ രാജ്യം, എന്റെ പ്രിയപുത്രന്മാരെയും വരെ ദാനം ചെയ്യും.

Word by Word

• वारितेन: even if forbidden/prevented
• वारितेन: Hetu/Condition (हेतु/शर्त)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारित (प्रातिपदिक; √वृ/वार्? क्त-रूप)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘वारित’ = निषिद्ध/प्रतिषिद्ध (forbidden/prevented)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even)

• मे: my / to me
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th: genitive/dative), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• देयम्: must be given
• देयम्: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तव्य (to be given)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Pratijna/Subject-complement (प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वचः: word / statement
• वचः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• आत्मानम्: myself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• दारान्: wives
• दारान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• प्रियान्: dear
• प्रियान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘पुत्रान्’ विशेषण

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (context: yajña-patron affirming an unbreakable vow of giving)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali proclaims that even if prevented, he will give; he is ready to offer himself, wife, kingdom, and sons—an image of radical generosity and truth.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Keeping one’s word (satya) is itself a sacred act; dāna becomes dharma only when the vow is unwavering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa, where vows made in a sacred field are portrayed as spiritually binding and transformative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dāna-saṅkalpa: the resolve to give whatever is due/asked in the context of yajña—even at great personal cost.