Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

राजतो हि मया लब्धां गां नयामि स्वमन्दिरम् । गोहर्त्तेति च मां कस्माद्ब्रवीषि द्विजसत्तम

Transliteration

rājato hi mayā labdhāṃ gāṃ nayāmi svamandiram | gohartteti ca māṃ kasmādbravīṣi dvijasattama

Translation

„Diese Kuh habe ich vom König erhalten und ich führe sie in mein eigenes Haus. Warum nennst du mich einen Kuhdieb, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen?“

Word by Word

• राजतः: from the king
• राजतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• लब्धाम्: obtained
• लब्धाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'गाम्'/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-भाव (obtained)

• गाम्: cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नयामि: I take/lead
• नयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• स्वमन्दिरम्: to (my) own house
• स्वमन्दिरम्: Karma (Goal as object of motion/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (स्वं मन्दिरम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); गन्तव्य-स्थान (destination)

• गोहर्ता: cow-thief
• गोहर्ता: Predicate/Upapada (Appellation/सम्बोधनार्थ-उपाधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + हर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गोः हर्ता), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus / as
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

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

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कस्मात्: why / from what reason
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नार्थ (interrogative)

• ब्रवीषि: you say/call
• ब्रवीषि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ (श्रेष्ठो द्विजः), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Somaśarman (deduced from immediate context of dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Somaśarman explains calmly yet firmly, gesturing back toward the palace direction, while holding the cow’s rope; Jaimini listens, poised to judge.

Characters & Entities

• King (rājā)
• Somaśarman
• Cow (gau)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes lawful acquisition and proper testimony; even so, claims of right must be verified when competing dharmic assertions arise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s sacred jurisdiction is implied—where the king’s dharmic governance operates within the holy region praised by the Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse references royal grant/permission as a basis for ownership.