Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

व्रतान्ते चैव गौर्धुर्यैः शिवमुद्दिश्य दीयते । प्रीयतां मे महादेवः सपत्नीको वृषध्वजः

Transliteration

vratānte caiva gaurdhuryaiḥ śivamuddiśya dīyate | prīyatāṃ me mahādevaḥ sapatnīko vṛṣadhvajaḥ

Translation

Und am Ende des Gelübdes sollen vortreffliche Kühe gegeben werden, dem Śiva geweiht. „Möge Mahādeva, der das Stierbanner trägt, zusammen mit seiner Gemahlin, an mir Gefallen finden.“

Word by Word

• व्रतान्ते: at the end of the vow
• व्रतान्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—व्रतस्य अन्तः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (restrictive particle)

• गौर्धुर्यैः: with draught-oxen / bullocks
• गौर्धुर्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + धुर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—गवां धुर्याः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• शिवम्: to Śiva
• शिवम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/uddeśya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: intending (for)
• उद्दिश्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having intended/for the sake of’

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

• प्रीयताम्: may (he) be pleased
• प्रीयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आशीर्लिङ्गार्थे ‘may be pleased’

• मे: my, of me
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महान् देवः (कर्मधारय)

• सपत्नीकः: with (his) consort
• सपत्नीकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पत्नी + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—पत्नी अस्ति यस्य सः

• वृषध्वजः: the bull-bannered one (Śiva)
• वृषध्वजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—वृषः ध्वजः यस्य (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे रूढि/तत्पुरुष-रूप)

Speaker

Narrator (prescriptive/ritual instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṅgaleśvara-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kingly addressee (Pāṇḍunandana context continues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vrata completion ceremony: a devotee offers excellent cows to a worthy brāhmaṇa, with a Śiva shrine nearby; the donor recites, ‘May Mahādeva, bull-bannered, with His consort, be pleased.’

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādeva
• Vṛṣadhvaja
• Cow-gift (go-dāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity dedicated to Śiva, especially at a vow’s completion, is framed as a direct means to divine satisfaction and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in the Māṅgaleśvara tīrtha account of Revā-khaṇḍa, though the verse itself emphasizes vow-completion gifts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At the end of the vow, give excellent cows as a Śiva-dedicated donation and recite a prayer for Mahādeva’s pleasure.