Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । होमधेनुरियं राजन्नस्माकं कामदोहिनी । अदेया गौर्महाराज सामान्यापि द्विजन्मनाम्

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | homadhenuriyaṃ rājannasmākaṃ kāmadohinī | adeyā gaurmahārāja sāmānyāpi dvijanmanām

Translation

Vasiṣṭha sprach: „O König, dies ist unsere Opferkuh für das Homa, die Wunscherfüllerin. O großer König, eine Kuh darf nicht weggegeben werden — selbst eine gewöhnliche nicht, wenn es um Brahmanen geht.“

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• होमधेनुः: the sacrificial cow
• होमधेनुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (होम-प्रातिपदिक) + dhenu (धेनु-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—होमस्य धेनुः (sacrificial cow)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (राजन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन (vocative singular)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• कामदोहिनी: wish-fulfilling
• कामदोहिनी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (काम-प्रातिपदिक) + dohinī (दुह् धातु से दोहिनी-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कामान् दोग्धि इति (wish-fulfilling/milking desires)

• अदेया: not to be given
• अदेया: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-deya (देय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थः—देया न (not to be given)

• गौः: the cow
• गौः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (गो-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (महा-प्रातिपदिक) + rājan (राजन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन; समासः—महान् राजा (O great king)

• सामान्या: even ordinary
• सामान्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāmānya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सामान्या’ = common/ordinary

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि (particle: even/also), अव्यय

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (द्विज-प्रातिपदिक) + janman (जन्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—द्विजानां जन्म (born as twice-born) → द्विजन्मन्; ‘द्विजन्मनाम्’ = of the twice-born

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha speaks firmly yet calmly: ‘This is our homadhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow; a cow is not to be given away for brāhmaṇas.’ The sage’s composure radiates authority; the king is checked by the force of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Viśvāmitra
• homadhenu
• dvija (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Objects dedicated to sacred rites (homa) are protected by dharma; spiritual function establishes moral boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named in this verse; the emphasis is on dharma within a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa is referenced via “homadhenu,” indicating the cow’s consecrated role in sacrificial practice.