Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

गावः सुवर्णं रजतं रत्नानि च सरस्वती । तिलाः कन्या गजोश्वश्च शय्या वस्त्रं तथा मही

Transliteration

gāvaḥ suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ ratnāni ca sarasvatī | tilāḥ kanyā gajośvaśca śayyā vastraṃ tathā mahī

Translation

Kühe; Gold; Silber; Edelsteine; und Sarasvatī—die Gabe der Bildung; Sesam; eine Jungfrau als Hochzeitsgabe; Elefanten und Pferde; ein Bett; Kleidung; und Land—dies alles zählt man zu den großen Spenden.

Word by Word

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• रजतम्: silver
• रजतम्: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• रत्नानि: gems
• रत्नानि: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन

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

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (goddess/learning)
• सरस्वती: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कन्या: a maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गजः: elephant
• गजः: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अश्वः: horse
• अश्वः: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• शय्या: bed
• शय्या: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वस्त्रम्: cloth/garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

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

• मही: land/earth
• मही: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa reporting a teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī) addressed as ‘mahādevi’ in the immediate context of the dāna teaching

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrimage pavilion at Prabhāsa: donors present cows adorned with garlands, heaps of gold/silver and gems, sesame in vessels, a veiled bride with elders (kanyā-dāna), elephants and horses with caparisons, a bed with linens, folded cloth, and a deed-symbol for land; priests recite blessings near a coastal shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma praises specific high-value gifts—material and educational—that sustain society and sacred life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

These mahādānas are taught within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context, integrating charity with pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Enumeration of major forms of dāna (mahādāna), including cows, gold, garments, and land.