Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

इदं दानं सदा देयमात्मनो हित मिच्छता । श्राद्धे चैव विशेषेण यदीच्छेत्सात्त्विकं फलम्

Transliteration

idaṃ dānaṃ sadā deyamātmano hita micchatā | śrāddhe caiva viśeṣeṇa yadīcchetsāttvikaṃ phalam

Translation

తన నిజమైన హితాన్ని కోరేవాడు ఈ దానాన్ని ఎల్లప్పుడూ ఇవ్వాలి—ప్రత్యేకంగా శ్రాద్ధ సమయంలో—సాత్త్విక ఫలాన్ని కోరితే.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: विधेयार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-भाव; here यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तव्यता (to be given)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• हितम्: welfare/benefit
• हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/इष्टवस्तु (desired good)

• इच्छता: by one who wishes
• इच्छता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (by one who desires)

• श्राद्धे: in/at the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रकारवाचक (especially)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional)

• इच्छेत्: should desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सात्त्विकम्: sāttvic (pure)
• सात्त्विकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• फलम्: result/fruit
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed giver offers simple, clean gifts (food, cloth, sesame) to a worthy brāhmaṇa during śrāddha; no crowd, no garlands of honor; pitṛs appear serene and satisfied; the atmosphere is pure and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Dāna
• Sattva-guṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular charity—especially connected to śrāddha—should be done for inner good, producing sāttvic spiritual benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the sacred context in which these dharma-instructions are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give the prescribed dāna always, and particularly during śrāddha, to obtain sāttvic fruit.