Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कोटिभिर्वेदविद्वद्भिर्गयायां पितृवत्सलैः । भोजितैर्यत्समाप्नोति तत्फलं दैत्यनायक

Transliteration

koṭibhirvedavidvadbhirgayāyāṃ pitṛvatsalaiḥ | bhojitairyatsamāpnoti tatphalaṃ daityanāyaka

Translation

Wahai pemimpin Daitya, pahala yang diperoleh dengan menjamu (di sini) adalah sama seperti pahala menjamu jutaan Brahmana yang mengetahui Veda dan berbakti kepada leluhur di Gayā.

Word by Word

• कोटिभिः: by crores (of)
• कोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• वेदविद्वद्भिः: by Veda-knowers
• वेदविद्वद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + विद्वस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य विद्वांसः)

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• पितृवत्सलैः: affectionate to ancestors
• पितृवत्सलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ-वत्सल (प्रातिपदिक; पितृ + वत्सल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; विशेषणम् (वेदविद्वद्भिः)

• भोजितैः: having been fed
• भोजितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोजित (कृदन्त; √भुज्/भोज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (fed/caused to eat); विशेषणम् (वेदविद्वद्भिः)

• यत्: which (result)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• समाप्नोति: attains
• समाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) उपसर्गः सम्
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present Indicative, 3rd Person, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषणम् (फलम्)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

• दैत्यनायक: O leader of the Daityas
• दैत्यनायक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-नायक (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य + नायक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानां नायकः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (compared with Gayā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: daityanāyaka (leader of the Daityas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene: on one side, Dvārakā donors feed a small group; on the other, Gayā hosts vast rows of Veda-knowing brāhmaṇas; a luminous scale balances them as equal in merit.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Veda-vid
• Pitṛ
• Daitya-nāyaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dvārakā-based charity is exalted as equal to famed high-merit rites performed at Gayā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is glorified by comparison with Gayā, a renowned pitṛ-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed worthy recipients (contextually ascetics/holy persons) in Dvārakā; its fruit rivals major Gayā rites.