Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

सदाचाराय शुद्धाय दरिद्रायानुकारिणे । गां दत्त्वा फलमाप्नोति स्नानमात्रेण तत्फलम्

Transliteration

sadācārāya śuddhāya daridrāyānukāriṇe | gāṃ dattvā phalamāpnoti snānamātreṇa tatphalam

Translation

Wer einem Menschen von guter Lebensführung, Reinheit und Mitgefühl für die Armen eine Kuh schenkt, erlangt die Frucht dieser Gabe; doch schon durch das bloße Bad in diesem Tīrtha wird eben dieselbe Frucht gewonnen.

Word by Word

• सदाचाराय: to the virtuous/conducted one
• सदाचाराय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—सत्+आचार (कर्मधारय)

• शुद्धाय: to the pure one
• शुद्धाय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying the recipient)

• दरिद्राय: to a poor person
• दरिद्राय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• अनुकारिणे: to one who imitates/follows (good conduct)
• अनुकारिणे: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनु√कृ (धातु) + णिन् (प्रत्यय) → अनुकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—णिन्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

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

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having given’

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान+मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—स्नानस्य मात्रम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopikāsara

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gopikās

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A juxtaposed tableau: on one side, a righteous donor gives a decorated cow to a pure, compassionate brāhmaṇa; on the other, a pilgrim bathes in the sacred waters, receiving the same radiance of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Go-dāna
• Snāna
• Poor (daridra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A powerful tīrtha can grant immense merit through simple acts like bathing, while still honoring the ideal of righteous charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopikāsara (within the Dvārakā Māhātmya), whose snāna is declared extraordinarily meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha is highlighted; go-dāna to a virtuous, pure, and compassionate recipient is referenced as the comparable merit.