Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान्भोजयित्वा तु महिषीं तत्र दापयेत् । दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु स्वर्गलोके महीयते

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānbhojayitvā tu mahiṣīṃ tatra dāpayet | divyaṃ varṣasahasraṃ tu svargaloke mahīyate

Translation

既供养婆罗门以饮食，当于彼处布施一头母水牛。于是其人在天界受尊崇，历一千天年。

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भोजयित्वा: having fed
• भोजयित्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) + क्त्वा (Gerund/Absolutive): 'having caused to eat/fed'

• तु: and then; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle: 'but/indeed')

• महिषीम्: a buffalo-cow (female buffalo)
• महिषीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• दापयेत्: should cause (someone) to give; should have (it) given
• दापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) + विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• वर्षसहस्रम्: a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक (particle)

• स्वर्गलोके: in heaven-world
• स्वर्गलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महीयते: is honored; is glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from section continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tīrtha-side feeding hall: seated brāhmaṇas receiving a respectful meal; the donor offers a dark buffalo-cow (mahīṣī) with a cloth and garland; above, a celestial scene shows the donor honored in svarga for a thousand divine years.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Svarga (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-yātrā is completed by dharma: feeding the worthy and giving dāna, which is said to yield exalted heavenly merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prescription belongs to the Arkasthala/Prabhāsa-kṣetra context of the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed brāhmaṇas (brāhmaṇa-bhojana) and perform mahiṣī-dāna (donation of a buffalo) at the sacred place.