Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

एकैकशो दशदश ददौ धेनूः पयस्विनीः । चत्वारिंशच्छतं प्रादाद्ग्रामाणां चतुराधिकम्

Transliteration

ekaikaśo daśadaśa dadau dhenūḥ payasvinīḥ | catvāriṃśacchataṃ prādādgrāmāṇāṃ caturādhikam

Translation

Jedem gab er zehn und nochmals zehn milchgebende Kühe; und er verlieh vierhundert und vier Dörfer.

Word by Word

• एकैकशः: one by one
• एकैकशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb of action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एक-एक (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (अव्ययीभाव/अव्ययप्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वितरणार्थक (distributive adverb: one by one)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Quantifier/परिमाण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; ‘दश दश’ = प्रत्येकं दश (ten each)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Quantifier/परिमाण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; पुनरुक्ति द्वारा वितरणार्थः

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद; perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• धेनूः: cows
• धेनूः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• पयस्विनीः: milk-yielding
• पयस्विनीः: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पयस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक; पयस्+विन्+ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (धेनूः-विशेषण)

• चत्वारिंशत्: forty
• चत्वारिंशत्: Visheshana (Quantifier/परिमाण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• शतम्: a hundred (forming 4000)
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक/संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘चत्वारिंशत्-शतम्’ द्विगुसमासः (40×100 = 4000)

• प्रादात्: gave
• प्रादात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लुङ् (अङ्गविकल्पः; aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ग्रामाणाम्: of villages
• ग्रामाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• चतुराधिकम्: with four more (i.e., plus four)
• चतुराधिकम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘चतुर्-अधिक’ तत्पुरुषः; ‘शतम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (four more)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rows of white milch-cows with decorated horns are led forward; brāhmaṇas receive them in counted groups; a herald proclaims the grant of hundreds of villages; scribes inscribe copper-plate grants; the king oversees with composed generosity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great gifts given in a sacred context—especially cows and land—are upheld as royal dharma and a source of immense merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, where the generosity connected with sacred restoration is celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Godaana (gift of milch-cows) and grāma-dāna (granting villages/land endowments).