Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

गोभक्तिर्दानभक्तिश्च सदा धर्मस्य साधनम् । कृष्णे सुप्ते विशेषेण नियमोऽपि महा फलः

Transliteration

gobhaktirdānabhaktiśca sadā dharmasya sādhanam | kṛṣṇe supte viśeṣeṇa niyamo'pi mahā phalaḥ

Translation

Verehrung der Kuh und Hingabe an das Geben (dāna) sind stets Mittel des Dharma. Und wenn Kṛṣṇa während der Cāturmāsya-Zeit „schläft“, bringt selbst ein selbstauferlegter Niyama—eine religiöse Zucht—besonders großen Lohn.

Word by Word

• गोभक्तिः: devotion to cows
• गोभक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां भक्तिः)

• दानभक्तिः: devotion to giving (charity)
• दानभक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दानस्य भक्तिः)

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

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• धर्मस्य: of dharma
• धर्मस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• साधनम्: means/instrument
• साधनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कृष्णे: when/while Kṛṣṇa (is)
• कृष्णे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सुप्ते: asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (adverbial instrumental)

• नियमः: observance/discipline
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• महा: great
• महा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of फलः)

• फलः: fruit/result
• फलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic instruction; likely Brahmā in the dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Cāturmāsya scene: Viṣṇu in yoganidrā (symbolic) while devotees practice restraint—simple meals, charity, cow service; monsoon backdrop; lamps and prayer at dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Go (cow)
• Dāna
• Niyama
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and reverence for sacred life are perennial dharma; disciplined vows become exceptionally potent during the Viṣṇu-śayana season.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific tīrtha is not named; the verse glorifies a sacred time-cycle (Cāturmāsya/Viṣṇu-śayana) within the tīrtha-mahātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice niyama (vow/restraint), cultivate dāna-bhakti, and uphold go-bhakti—especially during Kṛṣṇa’s ‘sleep’ (Viṣṇu-śayana).