Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

दातव्यं भक्ति युक्ताय स्वशिष्याय सुताय वा । पूर्वमेव मया ख्यातं सारात्सारतरं प्रिये

Transliteration

dātavyaṃ bhakti yuktāya svaśiṣyāya sutāya vā | pūrvameva mayā khyātaṃ sārātsārataraṃ priye

Translation

Nên trao cho người có lòng sùng kính—cho chính đệ tử của mình, hoặc cả cho con trai mình. Hỡi người yêu dấu, trước đây ta đã nói rõ điều tinh túy nhất trong mọi tinh túy.

Word by Word

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: 'to be given')

• भक्ति: with devotion
• भक्ति: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचन (समास/योगे पूर्वपद-भावः)

• युक्ताय: to one endowed (with)
• युक्ताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle: 'endowed/connected')

• स्वशिष्याय: to one’s own disciple
• स्वशिष्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + शिष्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य शिष्यः)

• सुताय: to a son
• सुताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• पूर्वम्: previously
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: formerly/before)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (indeed)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ख्यातम्: was declared/made known
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle: 'made known')

• सारात्: from the essence
• सारात्: Apadana (Source/अपा दान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• सारतरम्: more excellent (essence)
• सारतरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारतर (प्रातिपदिक; सार + तरप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative: 'more excellent')

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, in calm instruction, indicates that the essence of the teaching should be entrusted only to a devoted disciple or son; Pārvatī listens attentively in a sacred setting suggestive of Prabhāsa’s coastal sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion and rightful relationship (disciple/child) establish eligibility for receiving profound teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, where right conduct safeguards sacred merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescription on dāna of knowledge: give it to the bhakti-yukta, especially one’s disciple or son.