Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

एको दद्याद्गवां लक्षं दोग्ध्रीणां वेदपारगे । एको ममार्चयेल्लिंगं तस्य पुण्यं ततोऽधिकम्

Transliteration

eko dadyādgavāṃ lakṣaṃ dogdhrīṇāṃ vedapārage | eko mamārcayelliṃgaṃ tasya puṇyaṃ tato'dhikam

Translation

Einer mag hunderttausend Kühe einem würdigen Empfänger schenken—einem, der die Veden durchdrungen hat und Milchkühe besitzt; doch ein anderer erlangt durch die Verehrung meines Liṅga ein Verdienst, das darüber hinausgeht.

Word by Word

• एकः: one person
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक/संख्येय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

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

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• लक्षम्: a lakh (100,000)
• लक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (quantity)

• दोग्ध्रीणाम्: of milk-cows / milk-givers
• दोग्ध्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोग्ध्री (प्रातिपदिक; √दुह् से)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• वेदपारगे: in/for a knower of the Vedas
• वेदपारगे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + पारग (प्रातिपदिक; वेद-पारग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (qualifying recipient/context)

• एकः: one person
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक/संख्येय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should worship

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• तस्य: of that (act/person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• ततः: than that; from that
• ततः: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: comparative 'therefrom/than that')

• अधिकम्: greater
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate adjective agreeing with 'पुण्यम्'

Speaker

Śiva (as Somnātha), within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra praise context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sureśvarī (Indrāṇī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasted acts: a grand go-dāna ceremony with rows of cows and Veda-knowing recipients, and beside it a simple devotee offering water/flowers to a Śiva-liṅga—yet the latter radiates greater spiritual brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Veda
• Gau-dāna (cow-gift)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Direct devotion (arcana) to Śiva is extolled as surpassing even vast charitable gifts when performed with proper reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somnātha at Prabhāsakṣetra, where liṅga worship is praised as exceptionally meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) of Śiva’s liṅga; and, by contrast, the classical dāna of cows to a Veda-knower.