Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

धर्मद्रवा धर्मधुरा धेनुर्धीरा धृतिर्ध्रुवा । धेनुदानफलस्पर्शा धर्मकामार्थमोक्षदा

Transliteration

dharmadravā dharmadhurā dhenurdhīrā dhṛtirdhruvā | dhenudānaphalasparśā dharmakāmārthamokṣadā

Translation

তিনি ধর্মরূপে প্রবাহিতা এবং ধর্মধুরা বহনকারিণী। তিনি ধেনু—ধীর, সাহসিনী—এবং ধৃতিতে ধ্রুবা। তিনি গোদানের ফল স্পর্শ করান, এবং ধর্ম, কাম, অর্থ ও মোক্ষ প্রদান করেন।

Word by Word

• धर्मद्रवा: flowing with righteousness
• धर्मद्रवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समासः (धर्मे द्रवा/धर्मद्रवा = flowing with dharma / soft towards dharma)

• धर्मधुरा: bearer of dharma
• धर्मधुरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + धुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (धर्मस्य धुरा = bearer of dharma)

• धेनुः: cow
• धेनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धीरा: steadfast, wise
• धीरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धृतिः: fortitude
• धृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृति (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ध्रुवा: constant, fixed
• ध्रुवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धेनु: cow
• धेनु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (cow)

• दान: gift
• दान: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (gift/donation)

• फल: result
• फल: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (fruit/result)

• स्पर्शा: bringing the fruit of gifting a cow
• स्पर्शा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (धेनुदानफलस्य स्पर्शा = touching/bringing the fruit of cow-gift)

• धर्मकामार्थमोक्षदा: giver of dharma, kāma, artha, and mokṣa
• धर्मकामार्थमोक्षदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; चतुर्ध्वन्द्वपूर्वपद + उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (धर्म-काम-अर्थ-मोक्षान् ददाति इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśī-khaṇḍa context, commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as a serene ‘Dharma-cow’ metaphor: goddess beside a luminous cow, yoke of dharma symbolized; pilgrims offer go-dāna or its substitutes on the ghāṭa; a subtle path leading upward signifies mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True divinity supports all four puruṣārthas, culminating in mokṣa, while honoring dharma and charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape, where devotion is said to yield both worldly and liberating fruits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references the merit of dhenudāna (gift of a cow), implying charity as a dharmic act.