Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

द्वारकायां च यद्दत्तं शंखोद्धारे तथैव च । पिंडारके महातीर्थे दत्तं चैवाक्षयं भवेत्

Transliteration

dvārakāyāṃ ca yaddattaṃ śaṃkhoddhāre tathaiva ca | piṃḍārake mahātīrthe dattaṃ caivākṣayaṃ bhavet

Translation

凡在德瓦拉卡所施之布施，亦如在商科乌达拉（Śaṅkhoddhāra）所施，以及在品达拉卡（Piṇḍāraka）这大圣地（mahā-tīrtha）所施者，皆成不坏不尽之功德（akṣaya）。

Word by Word

• द्वारकायाम्: in Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — relative pronoun (what/that which)

• दत्तम्: given (as a gift)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle ‘given’

• शंखोद्धारे: at the ‘Śaṅkha-uddhāra’ (place/rite of raising the conch)
• शंखोद्धारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख + उद्धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शंखस्य उद्धारः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय — adverb (‘thus/so’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• पिंडारके: at Piṇḍāraka
• पिंडारके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular (place-name)

• महातीर्थे: at the great sacred ford
• महातीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative; कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् तीर्थम्)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘given’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• अक्षयम्: imperishable, inexhaustible
• अक्षयम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — adjective used predicatively

• भवेत्: would become / becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘may become’

Speaker

Unknown (tīrtha-glorifying narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā; Śaṅkhoddhāra; Piṇḍāraka Mahātīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like narrative tableau: three stations—Dvārakā, Śaṅkhoddhāra, and Piṇḍāraka—each showing devotees giving alms (food, cloth, coins) to brāhmaṇas and the needy; a subtle ‘akṣaya’ motif shown as an unending stream of light rising from the gifts.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Śaṅkhoddhāra
• Piṇḍāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed at specially sanctified locations yields akṣaya (inexhaustible) merit, highlighting the power of sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, Śaṅkhoddhāra tīrtha, and Piṇḍāraka Mahātīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) at Dvārakā, Śaṅkhoddhāra, and Piṇḍāraka, said to yield imperishable merit.