Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

दीपं ददाति नो विप्रो मासमेकं निरन्तरम् । न भुंक्ते शाकपत्रं स एकाहारो निरंतरम्

Transliteration

dīpaṃ dadāti no vipro māsamekaṃ nirantaram | na bhuṃkte śākapatraṃ sa ekāhāro niraṃtaram

Translation

Brahmana itu tidak pernah mempersembahkan pelita secara berterusan walau genap sebulan. Dia tidak memakan sayur berdaun; dia mengekalkan laku tapa makan sekali sehari tanpa putus.

Word by Word

• dīpam: a lamp
• dīpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• dadāti: gives
• dadāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, parasmaipada, 3rd singular)

• no: not
• no: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: naḥ/nu (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (Vedic/poetic variant of ‘na’: not)

• vipraḥ: a Brahmin
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• māsam: for a month
• māsam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• ekam: one
• ekam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (masculine, accusative, singular; qualifying ‘māsam’)

• nirantaram: continuously
• nirantaram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nirantara (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: continuously)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• bhuṃkte: eats
• bhuṃkte: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 3rd singular, ātmanepada)

• śākapatram: leafy greens/vegetable leaves
• śākapatram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāka (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/संबन्ध): ‘शाकस्य पत्रम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun; masculine, nominative, singular)

• ekāhāraḥ: one-meal (a day)
• ekāhāraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + āhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘एकः आहारः यस्य/एक-आहारः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• nirantaram: continuously
• nirantaram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nirantara (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: continuously)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice; contrasts neglected dāna with selective austerity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple courtyard with rows of lamps that should be lit for a month; instead, darkness around an unoffered lamp. The brāhmaṇa sits eating a sparse single meal, refusing simple greens, while devotees light lamps nearby.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity without generosity and worship is portrayed as incomplete; dharma integrates restraint with offerings and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna for an extended period (one month) is referenced (as neglected), alongside dietary austerity (ekāhāra).