Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तत्र यः कपिलां दद्याद्ब्राह्मणायाहिताग्नये । स गणः स्यान्न संदेहो हरस्य दयितस्तथा

Transliteration

tatra yaḥ kapilāṃ dadyādbrāhmaṇāyāhitāgnaye | sa gaṇaḥ syānna saṃdeho harasya dayitastathā

Translation

Wer dort einem Brahmanen, der die heiligen Feuer bewahrt, eine kapilāfarbene (falbe) Kuh schenkt, wird ohne Zweifel einer der Gaṇa, Diener Śivas, und wird Hara lieb.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः

• कपिलाम्: a tawny cow
• कपिलाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• आहिताग्नये: to one who has established the sacred fires
• आहिताग्नये: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहिताग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; आहितः अग्निः यस्य सः = आहिताग्निः (बहुव्रीहिः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गणः: an attendant (member of the gaṇas)
• गणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• संदेहः: doubt
• संदेहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘no doubt’ इति वाक्यांशे

• हरस्य: of Hara (Śiva)
• हरस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दयितः: beloved
• दयितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दयित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• तथा: thus / likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चयार्थक (thus/also)

Speaker

Brahmasaṃbhava Muni (deduced from concluding verse of the passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāyogipura-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Śiva shrine, a donor leads a tawny kapilā cow adorned with garlands to an āhitāgni brāhmaṇa; sacred fires glow; Śiva’s gaṇas appear subtly in the background, blessing the act.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā (cow)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Āhitāgni
• Gaṇa
• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna performed with proper recipient and sacred context becomes a direct act of devotion to Śiva and yields intimate proximity to him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Rudrāvarta context (“there”), within the Mahāyogipura/Rudrāvarta māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kapilā-go-dāna (gift of a tawny cow) to an āhitāgni brāhmaṇa.