Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

कृष्णाजिनं तत्र देयं ब्राह्मणे वेदपारगे । यावत्तिलानां संख्यानं तावत्स्वर्गे महीयते

Transliteration

kṛṣṇājinaṃ tatra deyaṃ brāhmaṇe vedapārage | yāvattilānāṃ saṃkhyānaṃ tāvatsvarge mahīyate

Translation

ณที่นั้นพึงถวาย “กฤษณาชินะ” คือหนังละมั่งดำ แก่พราหมณ์ผู้เชี่ยวชาญพระเวท; นับเมล็ดงาได้เท่าใด ก็ได้รับการสรรเสริญในสวรรค์ยาวนานเท่านั้น

Word by Word

• कृष्णाजिनम्: a black deerskin
• कृष्णाजिनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अजिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘कृष्णम् अजिनम्’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘to be given/should be given’

• ब्राह्मणे: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• वेदपारगे: well-versed in the Vedas
• वेदपारगे: Sampradana (Recipient qualifier/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘वेदेषु पारगः’ = well-versed); ब्राह्मणस्य विशेषणम्

• यावत्: as much as
• यावत्: Measure (परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: as much as)

• तिलानाम्: of sesame seeds
• तिलानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• संख्यानम्: the count/number
• संख्यानम्: Measure (परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; परिमाणार्थक-नाम

• तावत्: so much
• तावत्: Measure (परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: that much)

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• महीयते: is honored/exalted
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is honored/glorified)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Prabhāsa offers a neatly folded black antelope-skin to a serene, Veda-reciting brāhmaṇa; sesame seeds are shown being counted or poured as a symbolic measure of time in heaven; in the background, the coastal sacred landscape and a Śiva shrine suggest the kṣetra’s sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇājina (black antelope-skin)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Veda
• Tila (sesame)
• Svarga
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gifts made at a sacred place to a worthy recipient (a Veda-knowing brāhmaṇa) multiply merit and bring heavenly honor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where dāna connected to the preceding śrāddha context yields exceptional results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give a kṛṣṇājina (black antelope-skin) as dāna to a vedapāraga brāhmaṇa; merit is described via the counting of tila (sesame).