Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

आसीमांतं विसृज्यैतान्ब्राह्मणान्नियतेंद्रियः । दीनांधकृपणेभ्यश्च दानं दद्यात्स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

āsīmāṃtaṃ visṛjyaitānbrāhmaṇānniyateṃdriyaḥ | dīnāṃdhakṛpaṇebhyaśca dānaṃ dadyātsvaśaktitaḥ

Translation

Tendo despedido respeitosamente esses brâmanes até o limite, com os sentidos refreados, deve também dar caridade, conforme sua capacidade, aos pobres, aos cegos e aos desamparados.

Word by Word

• ā-sīmāntam: up to the boundary/limit
• ā-sīmāntam: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + sīmānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial) = ‘up to the boundary/limit’

• visṛjya: having dismissed
• visṛjya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√sṛj (सृज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = ‘having dismissed/sent off’

• etān: these
• etān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचनम्

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचनम्; etān इत्यस्य विशेष्यः

• niyata-indriyaḥ: self-controlled
• niyata-indriyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyata (कृदन्त; √yam यम्) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः = ‘one whose senses are restrained’

• dīna-andha-kṛpaṇebhyaḥ: to the poor, the blind, and the destitute
• dīna-andha-kṛpaṇebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक) + andha (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative/सम्प्रदान), बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्वसमासः (copulative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात = ‘and/also’

• dānam: charity/gift
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• sva-śaktitaḥ: according to one’s capacity
• sva-śaktitaḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = ‘according to one’s ability’; तत्पुरुषसमासः (own + ability)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-householder walks with brāhmaṇas to the edge of the settlement, hands folded; afterward he turns to distribute alms to a blind person and a destitute family near the road, under a temple banner.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• the poor/destitute

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma integrates ritual piety with compassion—supporting vulnerable people is part of tīrtha merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s tīrtha framework (Gomatī context), where charity is prescribed alongside pilgrimage rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

See off the invited brāhmaṇas respectfully and then give dāna to the needy according to one’s means.