Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तस्माच्चैव प्रकर्तव्यं गोदानं गोमतीतटे । एवं कृत्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठाः कृतकृत्यो भवेन्नरः

Transliteration

tasmāccaiva prakartavyaṃ godānaṃ gomatītaṭe | evaṃ kṛtvā dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ kṛtakṛtyo bhavennaraḥ

Translation

Darum soll gewiss die Gabe einer Kuh am Ufer der Gomatī vollzogen werden. Hat man dies getan, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, wird der Mensch zu einem, dessen Pflichten erfüllt sind.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• एव: indeed; certainly
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: should be done; is to be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तव्यताप्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (ought to be done)

• गो-दानम्: cow-donation
• गो-दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण (to be done)

• गोमती-तटे: on the bank of the Gomati
• गोमती-तटे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोमत्याः तटः)

• एवम्: thus; in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः)

• कृत-कृत्यः: one who has fulfilled his duty; accomplished
• कृत-कृत्यः: Predicative (Vidheyavisheshana/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः—‘कृतं कृत्यं येन’ इति अर्थे (one whose duty is done)

• भवेत्: would become; should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī-tīra (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ (addressed audience: ‘O best of twice-born’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the Gomatī ghāṭa, a decorated cow with garlands is ceremonially handed over; the donor pours water in saṅkalpa, brāhmaṇas chant blessings, and the river glints behind—signifying completion of vows.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī (river)
• Brāhmaṇa (addressed as dvijaśreṣṭha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a great tīrtha, a major act of charity like godāna is presented as a culminating dharmic accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bank of the Gomatī at Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform godāna (donation of a cow) specifically at the Gomatī riverbank.