Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ग्रासमात्रा भवेद्भिक्षा सा नित्यं यत्र दीयते । तद्गृहं गृहमन्यच्च स्मशानमिव दृश्यते

Transliteration

grāsamātrā bhavedbhikṣā sā nityaṃ yatra dīyate | tadgṛhaṃ gṛhamanyacca smaśānamiva dṛśyate

Translation

ที่ใดให้ทาน (ภิกษา) เป็นนิตย์เพียงคำเดียว บ้านนั้น—และบ้านอื่นที่เป็นเช่นนั้น—ย่อมปรากฏดุจป่าช้า ไร้มงคลและความรุ่งเรืองแท้

Word by Word

• ग्रासमात्रा: only a mouthful in measure
• ग्रासमात्रा: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रासमात्रा (प्रातिपदिक; ग्रास + मात्रा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ग्रासस्य मात्रा)

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• भिक्षा: alms
• भिक्षा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सा: that (alms)
• सा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय/नित्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तद्गृहम्: that house
• तद्गृहम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्गृह (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + गृह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तस्य गृहं)

• गृहम्: a house
• गृहम्: कर्ता (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अन्यत्: other; different
• अन्यत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• श्मशानम्: a cremation-ground
• श्मशानम्: उपमान (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: सम्बन्ध (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• दृश्यते: is seen; appears
• दृश्यते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive/Ātmanepada sense), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king / royal interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting houses: one where a miser gives only a tiny morsel, the courtyard looks barren and shadowed like a cremation ground; another house (implied) is bright with hospitality. The verse focuses on the stark ‘śmaśāna’ metaphor.

Characters & Entities

• Vastrāpatha Kṣetra
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A household becomes truly auspicious through generous, regular giving—especially food; stingy charity is depicted as spiritually barren.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha Kṣetra within the Prabhāsa region, praised through teachings on dāna and dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily giving of bhikṣā/food is implied; the verse critiques minimal, begrudging giving and pushes toward fuller hospitality.