Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

दनायुषस्तथा जातो दनायुश्च गणो बली । गावश्च सुरभेर्जातारिष्टापुत्रा युगंधराः

Transliteration

danāyuṣastathā jāto danāyuśca gaṇo balī | gāvaśca surabherjātāriṣṭāputrā yugaṃdharāḥ

Translation

Aus Danāyu wurde ebenfalls Danāyuṣ geboren, eine mächtige Schar (gaṇa). Die Kühe wurden aus Surabhi geboren; und die Yugaṃdharas gelten als Söhne der Ariṣṭā.

Word by Word

• दनायुषः: Danāyuṣa (name)
• दनायुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दनायुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• जातः: was born
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘born’

• दनायुः: Danāyu (name)
• दनायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दनायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गणः: a troop/group
• गणः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बली: strong/mighty
• बली: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (गणः/दनायुः)

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सुरभेः: of Surabhi
• सुरभेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जाताः: were born
• जाताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘born’

• अरिष्टापुत्राः: sons of Ariṣṭā
• अरिष्टापुत्राः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिष्टा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अरिष्टायाः पुत्राः)

• युगंधराः: Yugaṃdharas (name/class)
• युगंधराः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगंधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Surabhi as a radiant divine cow or cow-headed goddess figure, with streams of cows emerging; alongside, a martial ‘gaṇa’ born of Danāyu shown as a clustered troop; Yugaṃdharas depicted as sturdy mythic beings (mountain-bearing/strong-bodied) as Ariṣṭā’s sons.

Characters & Entities

• Danāyu
• Danāyuṣ
• Surabhi
• Gāvaḥ (cows)
• Ariṣṭā
• Yugaṃdhara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cows—central to dharmic life and charity—are presented as sacredly originated, strengthening reverence and protective duty (go-rakṣā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; however, the sanctity of cows implicitly supports dāna and protective dharma.