Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

हूयेत हव्यं वह्नौ च दानं दद्याद्द्विजातये । गावः सुपूजिताः कार्याश्चातुर्मास्ये विशेषतः

Transliteration

hūyeta havyaṃ vahnau ca dānaṃ dadyāddvijātaye | gāvaḥ supūjitāḥ kāryāścāturmāsye viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Man soll die Opfergabe (havis) in das heilige Feuer darbringen und den Dvija, den »Zweimalgeborenen«, Gaben spenden. Besonders während des Cāturmāsya sind die Kühe gebührend zu ehren und zu verehren.

Word by Word

• हूयेत: should be offered (into fire)
• हूयेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• हव्यम्: oblation
• हव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• वह्नौ: in the fire
• वह्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

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

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• द्विजातये: to a twice-born (Brāhmaṇa etc.)
• द्विजातये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

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

• सुपूजिताः: well-honoured
• सुपूजिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पूजित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पूज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषण

• कार्याः: should be made/done (i.e., should be treated)
• कार्याः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; कर्तव्यतार्थक (to be done)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: especially)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Characters & Entities

• Agni (sacred fire)
• Dvija (twice-born)
• Gauḥ (cow)
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cāturmāsya is sanctified by homa and timely charity, with special reverence shown to cows as a dharmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya context but does not name a specific tīrtha in this line; it emphasizes Cāturmāsya-based merit within the pilgrimage framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer havya into Agni (homa), give dāna to dvijas, and perform special worship/honor of cows during Cāturmāsya.