Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

स्वर्णदानं च गोदानं भूमिदानं तथैव च । यावज्जीवं भवेद्दत्तं येनेदं धारितं कलौ

Transliteration

svarṇadānaṃ ca godānaṃ bhūmidānaṃ tathaiva ca | yāvajjīvaṃ bhaveddattaṃ yenedaṃ dhāritaṃ kalau

Translation

สำหรับผู้ที่รักษา (มหาตมยะ) นี้ไว้ในกาลียุค ก็ประหนึ่งว่าได้ถวายทานทองคำ ทานโค และทานที่ดิน ตลอดชั่วชีวิต

Word by Word

• स्वर्णदानम्: gift of gold
• स्वर्णदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (determinative; स्वर्णस्य दानम् = gift of gold); नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• गोदानम्: gift of cows
• गोदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (गोः दानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• भूमिदानम्: gift of land
• भूमिदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (भूमेः दानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb: in that manner/likewise)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• यावत्-जीवम्: for (one’s) whole life
• यावत्-जीवम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः (adverbial; यावत् जीवम् = as long as life lasts); अव्ययत्वम्

• भवेत्: may be / would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘given’

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (contextual), तृतीया विभक्तिः (instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• इदम्: this (text)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• धारितम्: kept / preserved
• धारितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Pitṛs (ancestors), as quoted within the Dvārakā-māhātmya context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (via its māhātmya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee safeguards a manuscript of the Dvārakā-māhātmya; symbolic visions of gold, cows, and fertile land appear as radiant emblems of the merit gained.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Kali-yuga
• Svarṇa-dāna
• Go-dāna
• Bhūmi-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, safeguarding dharma through preserving sacred texts is praised as equal to lifelong performance of great charities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā indirectly, because the preserved text is the Dvārakā-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhāraṇa (preserving/keeping) the māhātmya text; its fruit is equated with svarṇa-dāna, go-dāna, and bhūmi-dāna.