Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

धर्मे दद्यात्पशून्वृद्धान्पुष्यादेषा कृषिः कुतः । सारमेतत्कृषेस्तेन नंदभद्रेण चादृतम्

Transliteration

dharme dadyātpaśūnvṛddhānpuṣyādeṣā kṛṣiḥ kutaḥ | sārametatkṛṣestena naṃdabhadreṇa cādṛtam

Translation

في سبيل الدارما ينبغي أن تُعطى الماشية الهرِمة صدقةً؛ فكيف تزدهر هذه الزراعة حقًّا من غير عبءٍ أخلاقي؟ هذا هو لبّ القول في أمر الفلاحة، وقد أكرمه نندبهدرا وصانه.

Word by Word

• धर्मे: in/with regard to dharma
• धर्मे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन (Singular)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• पशून्: animals, cattle
• पशून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन (Plural)

• वृद्धान्: old, aged
• वृद्धान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (qualifying पशून्)

• पुष्याद्: should nourish/maintain
• पुष्याद्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• एषा: this (she/this one)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• कृषिः: agriculture, farming
• कृषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular); एषा इति सह सामानाधिकरण्यम्

• कुतः: from where? how (possible)?
• कुतः: Sambandha/Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (interrogative particle/adverb)

• सारम्: essence, gist
• सारम्: Karma/Predicate (Object or predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.); एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.); एकवचन (Singular); सारम् इति विशेषण/समानाधिकरण

• कृषेः: of agriculture
• कृषेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन (Singular)

• तेन: by that/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• नंदभद्रेण: by Nandabhadra
• नंदभद्रेण: Karana/Karta (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नंदभद्र (प्रातिपदिक; नन्द + भद्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• आदृतम्: was respected/accepted
• आदृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative mode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandabhadra instructs householders: an agrarian courtyard with elderly cows being gently led to a shelter/temple-goshala; farmers offering fodder and water, with a calm ethical discourse in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected by generosity and responsibility toward living beings; prosperity is hollow if it rests on harm or neglect.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named in this verse; it preserves a dharma-teaching attributed to Nandabhadra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is prescribed: donate aged cattle for dharma (as an act of responsibility and merit).