Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

विष्णुमुद्दिश्य यो दद्यात्सालंकारां पयस्विनीम् । सवत्सामत्र सत्तीर्थे सत्पात्राय द्विजन्मने

Transliteration

viṣṇumuddiśya yo dadyātsālaṃkārāṃ payasvinīm | savatsāmatra sattīrthe satpātrāya dvijanmane

Translation

যে ব্যক্তি বিষ্ণুকে উদ্দেশ্য করে এই উত্তম তীর্থে অলংকারভূষিতা দুধেল গাভীকে বাছুরসহ যোগ্য পাত্র ব্রাহ্মণকে দান করে—

Word by Word

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: intending (for)
• उद्दिश्य: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद् + दिश् (दिश् धातु) → उद्दिश्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष) अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण 'having intended/aiming at'

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (दा धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष? (actually 3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सालंकाराम्: adorned, with ornaments
• सालंकाराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अलंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/सह-समासः (अलंकारैः सह)

• पयस्विनीम्: a milch-cow (milk-giving cow)
• पयस्विनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सवत्साम्: with a calf
• सवत्साम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सह-समासः (वत्सेन सह)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक

• सत्-तीर्थे: in the holy tīrtha
• सत्-तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सत् तीर्थम्)

• सत्-पात्राय: to a worthy recipient
• सत्-पात्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सत् पात्रम्)

• द्विजन्मने: to a twice-born (Brāhmaṇa etc.)
• द्विजन्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विः जन्म यस्य) = द्विज; 'for a twice-born'

Speaker

Narrator (Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ceremonial go-dāna: a decorated milk cow with garlands and ornaments stands with her calf; the donor pours water into the brāhmaṇa’s hand (saṅkalpa-dāna), with Viṣṇu emblems nearby; attendants hold lamps and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Sattīrtha
• Cow (payasvinī)
• Brāhmaṇa (dvijanman)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes especially meritorious when offered with devotion to Viṣṇu, at a tīrtha, and to a worthy recipient.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘sat-tīrtha’ (excellent pilgrimage ford) within Ayodhyā’s sacred landscape as described in Ayodhyā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna: gifting an ornamented milch cow with her calf to a worthy Brāhmaṇa, dedicated to Viṣṇu.