Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

गोदानं चात्र शंसंति सुवर्णं द्विजपुंगवे । अन्नदानं विशेषेण सर्वपापप्रशांतये

Transliteration

godānaṃ cātra śaṃsaṃti suvarṇaṃ dvijapuṃgave | annadānaṃ viśeṣeṇa sarvapāpapraśāṃtaye

Translation

ஓ இருபிறப்பில் சிறந்தவரே, இங்கு கோதானமும் பொன்னுதானமும் புகழப்படுகின்றன. குறிப்பாக எல்லாப் பாவங்களின் சாந்திக்காக அன்னதானம் மிகச் சிறந்ததாகப் போற்றப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• गोदानम्: gift of a cow
• गोदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• शंसन्ति: praise, commend
• शंसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• सुवर्णम्: gold (as a gift)
• सुवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन; (दानम्) इत्यर्थे कर्मपदम्

• द्विजपुङ्गवे: O best of Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजपुङ्गवे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/सप्तमी (Voc./Loc.), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रायः (O best of twice-born)

• अन्नदानम्: gift of food
• अन्नदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्ययवत्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial instrumental: ‘especially’)

• सर्वपापप्रशान्तये: for the complete pacification of all sins
• सर्वपापप्रशान्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पाप + प्रशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context: Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (dāna-kṣetra emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-puṅgava (addressed: ‘O best of the twice-born’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrimage setting with donors offering food to lines of pilgrims and ascetics; a cow being gifted ceremonially; a brahmin recipient blessing; the sea-breeze/coastal Prabhāsa ambiance in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Go-dāna
• Suvarṇa-dāna
• Anna-dāna
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma elevates charity—especially feeding others—as a powerful purifier and stabilizer of spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where dāna is presented as particularly fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna (cow-gift), suvarṇa-dāna (gold-gift), and especially anna-dāna (food-gift) for the cessation of sins.