Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 159

Devanagari script

होमदानादिको धर्मो नोपकाराय जायते । तात यावन्न संयोगि जगदेतत्त्वदंशुभिः

Transliteration

homadānādiko dharmo nopakārāya jāyate | tāta yāvanna saṃyogi jagadetattvadaṃśubhiḥ

Translation

Wahai anak, amalan seperti homa (persembahan api) dan sedekah tidak benar-benar lahir sebagai Dharma yang membawa manfaat, selama dunia ini belum bersatu dengan sinar-Mu—kemuliaan ilahi-Mu.

Word by Word

• होमदानादिकः: consisting of oblations, gifts, etc.
• होमदानादिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: होम-दान-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘धर्मः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण—“होमदानादिभिः युक्तः/सम्बद्धः”

• धर्मः: dharma, religious merit
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• उपकाराय: for benefit
• उपकाराय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तात: O dear one / O father
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; स्नेहसम्बोधन

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Clause linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्धशब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावत्-सम्बन्धे अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• संयोगि: connected, in conjunction
• संयोगि: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण—“संयुक्तं/सम्बद्धं” (elliptic: भवति)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘जगत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• त्वत्: your
• त्वत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘अंशुभिः’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्ध

• अंशुभिः: with rays
• अंशुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

A devotee/praiser within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya context (instructional stuti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene: homa fire and gifts prepared, but the narrative emphasizes that only when the Lord’s radiant rays descend upon the world do these acts become truly beneficent; rays illuminate the altar and donors.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Divine rays (aṃśu/tejas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rituals bear their highest fruit only when joined to the Lord’s presence and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Lord’s radiance is understood to empower Dharma and pilgrimage acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa and dāna are referenced as major rites, with the teaching that they must be integrated with devotion to be truly beneficial.