Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

दीयमानं तु वै दानं यस्त्यजेत्तीर्थसेवकः । तीर्थं करोति तीर्थं च स पुनाति च पूर्वजान्

Transliteration

dīyamānaṃ tu vai dānaṃ yastyajettīrthasevakaḥ | tīrthaṃ karoti tīrthaṃ ca sa punāti ca pūrvajān

Translation

ବିଧିପୂର୍ବକ ଦିଆଯାଉଥିବା ଦାନକୁ ଯେ ତୀର୍ଥସେବକ ତ୍ୟାଗ କରେ, ସେ ତୀର୍ଥକୁ ସତ୍ୟ ତୀର୍ଥ କରେ; ଏବଂ ସେ ନିଜ ପୂର୍ବଜମାନଙ୍କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ପବିତ୍ର କରେ।

Word by Word

• दीयमानम्: being given
• दीयमानम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agreeing with दानम्

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• वै: surely
• वै: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• त्यजेत्: should abandon, would give up
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; optative 3rd sg

• तीर्थसेवकः: a servant/attendant of the tīrtha
• तीर्थसेवकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + सेवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य सेवकः)

• तीर्थम्: a tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular

• करोति: makes, becomes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; present 3rd sg

• तीर्थम्: a tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular (predicate object)

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• पुनाति: purifies
• पुनाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; present 3rd sg

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

• पूर्वजान्: ancestors, forefathers
• पूर्वजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; accusative plural

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the tīrtha, a humble sevaka gently declines an offered gift, hands folded, while pilgrims look on. The tīrtha waters brighten, and a subtle ancestral line behind him is shown becoming purified, indicating pitṛ-uplift.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha-sevaka
• dāna
• pūrvajāḥ (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Non-attachment and integrity in holy service sanctify the pilgrimage site and generate ancestral merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-tīrtha, where the character of its servants is presented as part of the site’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regarding dāna: a tīrtha-servant should reject gifts offered in a way that would foster greed or commercialization.