Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

गृहाणां तु सहस्राणि दीनानाथाश्रयाणि च । कारयित्वा विधानेन विप्रेभ्यः प्रददौ पृथक्

Transliteration

gṛhāṇāṃ tu sahasrāṇi dīnānāthāśrayāṇi ca | kārayitvā vidhānena viprebhyaḥ pradadau pṛthak

Translation

Baginda menyuruh membina ribuan rumah—termasuk tempat perlindungan bagi yang miskin dan yang tiada pelindung—lalu menurut ketetapan yang wajar, baginda mengurniakannya secara berasingan kepada para Brāhmaṇa.

Word by Word

• गृहाणाम्: of houses
• गृहाणाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक (particle)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (nominative plural); संख्या (thousands)

• दीनानाथाश्रयाणि: sheltering the poor and helpless
• दीनानाथाश्रयाणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन + अनाथ + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘दीनानाथानाम् आश्रयाणि’ (shelters for the poor and helpless) विशेषणं सहस्राणि इति

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

• कारयित्वा: having caused to be built
• कारयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कारय् (धातु, णिच् causative of कृ) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having caused to be made)

• विधानेन: according to proper procedure
• विधानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular); ‘विधिना’ (by proper procedure)

• विप्रेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• विप्रेभ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (dative plural)

• प्रददौ: he gave
• प्रददौ: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (he gave)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पृथक्त्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण (separately, individually)

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Someshvara vicinity)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rows of newly built houses and a shelter for the destitute stand near Someshvara; Soma oversees orderly distribution; brāhmaṇas receive deeds/keys; the poor find refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True merit at a tīrtha includes compassionate support—creating dwellings and refuges—so that sacred space becomes a lived dharma for society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, in the Someśvara sacred region described in this māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gifting (dāna) is to be done vidhānena—properly, with due procedure—here expressed as gṛha-dāna and establishing shelters.