Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

गोभक्तिर्दानभक्तिश्च सदा धर्मस्य साधनम् । कृष्णे सुप्ते विशेषेण नियमोऽपि महा फलः

Transliteration

gobhaktirdānabhaktiśca sadā dharmasya sādhanam | kṛṣṇe supte viśeṣeṇa niyamo'pi mahā phalaḥ

Translation

محبةُ البقرة والتعبّدُ بالعطاء (الدّانا) هما على الدوام وسيلتان لإقامة الدَّرما. وحين يكون كريشنا «نائمًا» في زمن تشاتورماسيا، فإنّ حتى النِّياما—وهي رياضةٌ يتعاهدها المرء على نفسه—تؤتي ثمرةً عظيمة، ولا سيّما.

Word by Word

• गोभक्तिः: devotion to cows
• गोभक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां भक्तिः)

• दानभक्तिः: devotion to giving (charity)
• दानभक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दानस्य भक्तिः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• धर्मस्य: of dharma
• धर्मस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• साधनम्: means/instrument
• साधनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कृष्णे: when/while Kṛṣṇa (is)
• कृष्णे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सुप्ते: asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (adverbial instrumental)

• नियमः: observance/discipline
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• महा: great
• महा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of फलः)

• फलः: fruit/result
• फलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic instruction; likely Brahmā in the dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Cāturmāsya scene: Viṣṇu in yoganidrā (symbolic) while devotees practice restraint—simple meals, charity, cow service; monsoon backdrop; lamps and prayer at dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Go (cow)
• Dāna
• Niyama
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and reverence for sacred life are perennial dharma; disciplined vows become exceptionally potent during the Viṣṇu-śayana season.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific tīrtha is not named; the verse glorifies a sacred time-cycle (Cāturmāsya/Viṣṇu-śayana) within the tīrtha-mahātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice niyama (vow/restraint), cultivate dāna-bhakti, and uphold go-bhakti—especially during Kṛṣṇa’s ‘sleep’ (Viṣṇu-śayana).