Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कपिलां दत्त्वा यदाप्नोति तत्फलं कलशे पृथक् । मृत्ताम्ररौप्यसौवर्णैः क्रमाच्छतगुणं फलम्

Transliteration

kapilāṃ dattvā yadāpnoti tatphalaṃ kalaśe pṛthak | mṛttāmraraupyasauvarṇaiḥ kramācchataguṇaṃ phalam

Translation

Welchen Lohn man durch die Gabe einer fahlbraunen Kuh erlangt, denselben Lohn erlangt man auch gesondert durch die Darbringung eines Kalaśa (Wasserkruges). Und bei Krügen aus Ton, Kupfer, Silber und Gold wird das Ergebnis jeweils in aufsteigender Folge hundertfach.

Word by Word

• kapilām: a tawny cow (kapilā)
• kapilām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriya (Action qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धा॒तु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), परस्मैपदी; अर्थः—‘दत्त्वा’ = having given

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• āpnoti: obtains
• āpnoti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धा॒तु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tat-phalam: that fruit/result
• tat-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (tat eva phalam)

• kalaśe: in a pot
• kalaśe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• pṛthak: separately
• pṛthak: Kriya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• mṛt-tāmra-raupya-sauvarṇaiḥ: with (pots) of clay, copper, silver, and gold
• mṛt-tāmra-raupya-sauvarṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + tāmra (प्रातिपदिक) + raupya (प्रातिपदिक) + sauvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः समाहार-द्वन्द्वः

• kramāt: successively
• kramāt: Kriya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् (adverbial use), पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण ‘क्रमात्’ = क्रमशः

• śata-guṇam: hundredfold
• śata-guṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (śatena guṇena yuktam) विशेषणम् (phalam इति)

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor presents a kalaśa to a priest/temple, with four pots displayed—clay, copper, silver, gold—while a tawny cow stands nearby as the benchmark gift; the deity’s shrine in the background signifies dedication.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā (tawny cow)
• Kalaśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic charity values intention and sacred utility; even a kalaśa-dāna can rival major gifts, and superior materials amplify merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on dāna (charitable gifting) as a dharmic act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering a kalaśa (water-pot), with increasing merit when made of clay, copper, silver, and gold.