Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

धेनुं ददाति नो विप्रो ग्रहणे चंद्रसूर्ययोः

Transliteration

dhenuṃ dadāti no vipro grahaṇe caṃdrasūryayoḥ

Translation

ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ചന്ദ്രസൂര്യഗ്രഹണ സമയത്തുപോലും ധേനുദാനം നൽകുന്നില്ല.

Word by Word

• धेनुम्: a cow
• धेनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ग्रहणे: at the eclipse
• ग्रहणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: of the moon and the sun
• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (चन्द्रः च सूर्यः)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic eclipse sky: Sun or Moon partially obscured; pilgrims bathe and chant at the shore/river; a cow adorned with garlands stands ready for donation, but the negligent brāhmaṇa turns away; the contrast highlights missed sacred timing.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)
• Sūrya (Sun)
• Grahaṇa (eclipse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Eclipse-times are treated as spiritually potent; withholding dāna then is depicted as missing a major opportunity for purification and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, where tīrtha-sanctity is paired with timely charity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gau-dāna (donation of a cow) during candra-grahaṇa and sūrya-grahaṇa (lunar and solar eclipses).