Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

इति मंत्रं समुच्चार्य धेनूर्वाधेनु मेव वा । यो दद्याद्द्विजवर्याय स सर्वेभ्यो विशिष्यते

Transliteration

iti maṃtraṃ samuccārya dhenūrvādhenu meva vā | yo dadyāddvijavaryāya sa sarvebhyo viśiṣyate

Translation

Wer dieses Mantra spricht und einem vortrefflichen Brāhmaṇa eine Milchkuh—oder auch eine nicht melkende Kuh—schenkt, ragt über alle anderen hervor.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Prayojaka (Marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समुच्चार्य: having recited
• समुच्चार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘समुच्चार्य’ = having recited/uttered

• धेनुः: a milch-cow
• धेनुः: Karma (Object intended/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• अधेनु: a barren cow (non-milch cow)
• अधेनु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (दद्याद् इति सह)

• मेव: not indeed / certainly not
• मेव: Nishedha (Prohibition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय; ‘मा’ निषेध (prohibitive/negative particle) + ‘एव’ अवधारण (emphasis)

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्प (or)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• द्विजवर्याय: to an excellent Brahmin
• द्विजवर्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; द्विजस्य वर्यः इति (श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वेभ्यः: than all (others)
• सर्वेभ्यः: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन (तुलनार्थे)

• विशिष्यते: is distinguished/excels
• विशिष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience/ṛṣi audience in Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor, after reciting a mantra, respectfully offers a decorated cow to a venerable brāhmaṇa; witnesses in Kāśī look on as the act radiates merit and distinction.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (Dvija)
• Cow (Dhenū/Adhenū)
• Mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity sanctified by mantra—especially gau-dāna to a worthy brāhmaṇa—is praised as a supreme purifier and merit-maker.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is framed within Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma-teaching atmosphere, where gifts and rites gain heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the stated mantra and then perform gau-dāna (gift of a cow), preferably to a dvija-varya (excellent brāhmaṇa).