Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सवत्सां घण्टासंयुक्तां कांस्यपात्रावदोहिनीम् । ददते ये नृपश्रेष्ठ न ते यान्ति यमालयम्

Transliteration

savatsāṃ ghaṇṭāsaṃyuktāṃ kāṃsyapātrāvadohinīm | dadate ye nṛpaśreṣṭha na te yānti yamālayam

Translation

O Bester der Könige, wer eine Kuh mit ihrem Kalb schenkt, mit einer Glocke geschmückt und mit einem bronzenen Melkgefäß versehen — solche Spender gelangen nicht in Yamas Wohnstatt.

Word by Word

• सवत्साम्: with a calf
• सवत्साम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (वत्सेन सह/सवत्सा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular); विशेषणम् (धेनुम् implied)

• घण्टासंयुक्ताम्: fitted with a bell
• घण्टासंयुक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghaṇṭā + saṃyukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (घण्टया संयुक्ता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular); विशेषणम्

• कांस्यपात्रावदोहिनीम्: milked into a bronze vessel
• कांस्यपात्रावदोहिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāṃsya + pātra + avadohinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कांस्यपात्रेण अवदोहिनी/दोहनी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular); विशेषणम्

• ददते: give
• ददते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person plural, Ātmanepada)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठः नृपः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध अव्यय (negation particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); सर्वनाम

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person plural, Parasmaipada)

• यमालयम्: the abode of Yama
• यमालयम्: Gati-karma (Destination/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य आलयः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly donor presents a cow with her calf, a bell around her neck, and a bronze milking vessel; in the background, Yama’s dark city recedes or is barred, symbolizing exemption.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Go-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed with completeness and care (properly endowed gifts) is said to protect one from fearful post-death destinies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-context in the Revā Khaṇḍa, where dāna is taught as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate a cow along with her calf, a bell, and a bronze milking vessel.