Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

धेनुदानं च शय्यां च विद्रुमं च हयं तथा । दासीमहिषीघण्टाश्च तिलं कांचनसंयुतम्

Transliteration

dhenudānaṃ ca śayyāṃ ca vidrumaṃ ca hayaṃ tathā | dāsīmahiṣīghaṇṭāśca tilaṃ kāṃcanasaṃyutam

Translation

গো-দান, শয্যা-দান, প্রবাল (বিদ্রুম) ও অশ্ব-দান; তদুপরি দাসী, মহিষী, ঘণ্টা এবং স্বর্ণ-মিশ্রিত তিল-দান—এগুলি এখানে পুণ্যদায়ক দানকর্মরূপে বিধেয়।

Word by Word

• धेनुदानम्: gift of a cow
• धेनुदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धेनोः दानम्)

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

• शय्याम्: a bed
• शय्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• विद्रुमम्: coral
• विद्रुमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• हयम्: a horse
• हयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'likewise')

• दासी: female servants
• दासी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• महिषी: buffalo-cows (female buffaloes)
• महिषी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• घण्टाः: bells
• घण्टाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

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

• तिलम्: sesame
• तिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• काञ्चनसंयुतम्: combined with gold; gold-adorned
• काञ्चनसंयुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (काञ्चनेन संयुतम्)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continuing instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira; implied from surrounding dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed in adjacent verse-context; implied addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tīrtha-side charity pavilion: donors present a cow, a decorated bed, coral ornaments, a horse with trappings, bells, sesame and gold to seated brāhmaṇas; the kṣetra’s sacred grove in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes dāna (charitable giving) as a direct means to accumulate puṇya and support sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Dharmāraṇya (a sacred forest/region) within the Brahma Khaṇḍa’s Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A catalog of recommended gifts—cow, bed, coral, horse, servant, buffalo, bells, and sesame with gold—indicating dāna as the practice.