Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

काञ्चनानि तु तान्येव दत्त्वा विप्रेषु दक्षिणाम् । यज्ञं निर्वर्तयामास हृष्टो ब्रह्मा द्विजैः सह

Transliteration

kāñcanāni tu tānyeva dattvā vipreṣu dakṣiṇām | yajñaṃ nirvartayāmāsa hṛṣṭo brahmā dvijaiḥ saha

Translation

ทรงนำทองคำเหล่านั้นเองถวายเป็นทักษิณาแก่เหล่าวิประ; แล้วพระพรหมผู้ปลื้มปีติได้ประกอบยัญญะให้สำเร็จพร้อมด้วยเหล่าทวิชะ

Word by Word

• kāñcanāni: gold (pieces)
• kāñcanāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/contrast)

• tāni: those
• tāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; refers to kāñcanāni

• eva: only/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (restrictive particle)

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/अव्ययभाव), अव्यय; absolutive ‘having given’

• vipreṣu: to the brāhmaṇas
• vipreṣu: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), बहुवचन; recipient-location sense ‘among/to the brāhmaṇas’

• dakṣiṇām: the sacrificial fee (dakṣiṇā)
• dakṣiṇām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object of ‘dattvā’

• yajñam: the sacrifice
• yajñam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• nirvartayāmāsa: completed / carried out
• nirvartayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√vṛt (धातु) → nirvartaya (णिजन्त)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense ‘caused to be completed/performed’

• hṛṣṭaḥ: delighted
• hṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣṭa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) from hṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; adjective to ‘brahmā’

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• dvijaiḥ: with the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• dvijaiḥ: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (prepositional adverb ‘together with’)

Speaker

Narrator within the Māhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa yajña-bhūmi (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, radiant and pleased, sits at a completed sacrificial altar; priests receive golden lotus pieces as dakṣiṇā; the atmosphere is orderly, reverent, and festive.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)
• Dakṣiṇā
• Yajña
• Kāñcana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna given in the context of yajña is dharma in action—supporting sacred duty and ensuring auspicious completion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, as the setting where divine provision enables Brahmā’s rite to reach fulfillment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving dakṣiṇā to vipras (brāhmaṇas/ṛtviks) as part of yajña, here specifically in the form of gold.