Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

धेनुदस्तारयेन्नूनं दश पूर्वान्दशापरान् । देवस्य दक्षिणे भागे यो जपेच्छतरुद्रियम्

Transliteration

dhenudastārayennūnaṃ daśa pūrvāndaśāparān | devasya dakṣiṇe bhāge yo japecchatarudriyam

Translation

গো-দানকারী নিশ্চয়ই দশ পূর্বপুরুষ ও দশ উত্তরপুরুষকে উদ্ধার করেন। আর যিনি দেবতার দক্ষিণ পাশে বসে শতরুদ্রিয় জপ করেন—তিনি মহাপুণ্যের অধিকারী হন।

Word by Word

• धेनुदः: one who gives a cow
• धेनुदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनुद (प्रातिपदिक) [धेनु + द (√दा/ददाति? ‘giver’)]
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘धेनुं ददाति’ इति (cow-giver)

• तारयेत्: should deliver/save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक/particle of certainty)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; अत्र द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे (ten)

• पूर्वान्: the earlier (ancestors)
• पूर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘पूर्वपितॄन्’ इत्यर्थे (ancestors)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या (ten)

• अपरान्: the later (descendants)
• अपरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘अपरपितॄन्’ इत्यर्थे (later descendants)

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: on the right (southern)
• दक्षिणे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भागे’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• भागे: in the part/side
• भागे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शतरुद्रियम्: the Śatarudriya (hymn)
• शतरुद्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जपस्य कर्म (name of hymn/rite)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Kāleśvara/Mahākāleśvara precinct)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers a decorated cow in charity near the Prabhāsa shrine; to the deity’s southern side, a group of brāhmaṇas/pilgrims recite the Śatarudrīya, with liṅga and lamps visible.

Characters & Entities

• Dhenu-dāna
• Śatarudrīya
• Rudra (implied)
• Mahākāleśvara (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna and mantra-japa are shown to extend merit beyond the individual, benefiting lineage and strengthening one’s bond with Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāleśvara sacred precinct in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, with a specific ritual position indicated (southern side).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give a cow (dhenu-dāna) and recite the Śatarudrīya (chata-rudriya) on the deity’s southern side.