Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

धेनवो यो न शक्तः स्यादेका देया प्रयत्नतः । सर्वेषामेव रुद्राणां भर्तृयज्ञवचो यथा

Transliteration

dhenavo yo na śaktaḥ syādekā deyā prayatnataḥ | sarveṣāmeva rudrāṇāṃ bhartṛyajñavaco yathā

Translation

Wer nicht imstande ist, viele Kühe zu schenken, der soll sich bemühen, eine einzige Kuh darzubringen—denn sie gilt, gemäß dem Wort Bhartṛyajñas, als Gabe an alle Rudras.

Word by Word

• dhenavaḥ: cows
• dhenavaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhenu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• śaktaḥ: able
• śaktaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakta (प्रातिपदिक; √śak-समर्थे क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• syāt: should be / might be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धा॒तु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ekā: one (cow)
• ekā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• deyā: should be given
• deyā: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धा॒तु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय: यत् (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• prayatnataḥ: with effort
• prayatnataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatnataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: with effort)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• rudrāṇām: of the Rudras
• rudrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bhartṛ-yajña-vacaḥ: the statement of Bhartṛyajña
• bhartṛ-yajña-vacaḥ: Upamana/Pramana (Standard of comparison/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yathā: as; according to
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (comparative particle: as/according to)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Ekādaśa-Rudra-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Brāhmaṇas (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim of modest means offers a single cow with folded hands before a Rudra-sannidhi where multiple Rudra emblems are implied; priests recite mantras, and the cow is adorned with cloth and garlands.

Characters & Entities

• Rudras
• Bhartṛyajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma accommodates capacity: even a single sincere offering can carry comprehensive merit when done with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching continues within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra’s Ekādaśa Rudra vicinity, emphasizing practical dāna there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If multiple cows cannot be donated, donate at least one cow with earnest intent; it is deemed an offering to all Rudras.