Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

गोभिर्विप्रैश्च वेदैश्च सतीभिः सत्यवादिभिः । अलुब्धैर्दानशीलैश्च सप्तभिर्धार्यते मही

Transliteration

gobhirvipraiśca vedaiśca satībhiḥ satyavādibhiḥ | alubdhairdānaśīlaiśca saptabhirdhāryate mahī

Translation

গাভী, ব্রাহ্মণ, বেদ, পতিব্রতা সতী, সত্যভাষী, নির্লোভ ও দানশীল—এই সাতের দ্বারা পৃথিবী ধারণ করা হয়।

Word by Word

• गोभिः: by cows
• गोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• विप्रैः: by Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction) — Coordinative particle

• वेदैः: by the Vedas
• वेदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction) — Coordinative particle

• सतीभिः: by chaste women
• सतीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• सत्यवादिभिः: by truth-speakers
• सत्यवादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; समासः: सत्यं वदन्ति इति (truth-speaking)

• अलुब्धैः: by the ungreedy
• अलुब्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलुब्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; विशेषणम् (qualifying the agents)

• दानशीलैः: by the charitable
• दानशीलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; समासः: दानं शीलं यस्य (habit of giving)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction) — Coordinative particle

• सप्तभिः: by seven (kinds)
• सप्तभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्याशब्द, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; संख्याविशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• धार्यते: is sustained
• धार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, Passive, 3rd person, Singular

• मही: the earth
• मही: Karma (Patient in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau of the seven ‘pillars’ upholding Bhū-devī: a cow, a brāhmaṇa with kamaṇḍalu, Veda manuscripts, a satī with lamp, a truth-speaker with raised hand in vow, an ungreedy ascetic with empty palms, and a donor offering gifts—together supporting the earth-disc.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic and social stability depend on dharmic pillars—truth, non-greed, and charity—along with Vedic and ethical supports.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred geography is invoked; it is a universal dharma statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly prescribes dāna and satya as sustaining dharmas; no detailed ritual procedure is given.