Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

विषुवे हैममत्स्येन धेन्वा क्षौमयुगान्वितम् । यो दद्यात्पृथिवी तेन दत्ता भवति चाखिला

Transliteration

viṣuve haimamatsyena dhenvā kṣaumayugānvitam | yo dadyātpṛthivī tena dattā bhavati cākhilā

Translation

اعتدالِ شب و روز کے مقدّس وقت میں جو شخص سونے کی مچھلی کے ساتھ، اور کتان کے جوڑے سے آراستہ گائے کا دان کرے، اس کے لیے گویا پوری زمین ہی دان ہو جاتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• विषुवे: at the equinox/solstice day (viṣuva)
• विषुवे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हैममत्स्येन: with a golden fish
• हैममत्स्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हैम (प्रातिपदिक) + मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः (हैमः मत्स्यः)

• धेन्वा: with a cow
• धेन्वा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षौमयुगान्वितम्: endowed with linen garments/pairs
• क्षौमयुगान्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of implied dāna-object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षौम (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (क्षौमयुगैः अन्वितम् = endowed with linen pairs/garments)

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पृथिवी: the earth (land)
• पृथिवी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तेन: by him; by that (person)
• तेन: Karana (Means/agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• दत्ता: given
• दत्ता: Karta (Predicate adjective to ‘पृथिवी’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवति: becomes; is
• भवति: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

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

• अखिला: entire; whole
• अखिला: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘पृथिवी’ understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa near the sea-temple precinct, a donor offers a cow draped with two linen cloths while a small golden fish emblem rests on a ritual tray; priests recite, conch and bells sound, pilgrims watch under equinox light.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣu (equinox)
• Haima-matsya (golden fish)
• Dhenū (cow)
• Pṛthivī (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When charity is performed with sacred timing and pure intent, its spiritual value is portrayed as immeasurable—equal to the greatest conceivable gift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the implied sacred field where such dānas are extolled within the Skanda Purāṇa’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At an equinox, donate a golden fish together with a cow and a pair of linen cloths (kṣauma-yuga).