Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

आत्माहारप्रमाणेन प्रत्यहं गोषु दीयते । गवाह्निकं तासु दत्त्वा नरो याति सुरालयम्

Transliteration

ātmāhārapramāṇena pratyahaṃ goṣu dīyate | gavāhnikaṃ tāsu dattvā naro yāti surālayam

Translation

Wenn jemand jeden Tag den Kühen eine Gabe im Maß seiner eigenen Speise darreicht, so gelangt er durch diese tägliche Darbringung zur Wohnstatt der Götter.

Word by Word

• आत्माहारप्रमाणेन: by the measure of one’s own food-intake
• आत्माहारप्रमाणेन: करण (Instrument/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्माहारप्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक; आत्माहार + प्रमाण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (आत्माहारस्य प्रमाणम्)

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: कालाधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्यहम् (अव्यय; प्रति + अहन्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• गोषु: among/for the cows
• गोषु: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• गवाह्निकम्: the daily (offering/service) for cows
• गवाह्निकम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गवाह्निक (प्रातिपदिक; गो + आह्निक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (गवाम् आह्निकम्)

• तासु: among them (the cows)
• तासु: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: कर्ता (Subject/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• सुरालयम्: to the abode of the gods (heaven)
• सुरालयम्: गति-कर्म (Goal/Object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरालय (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + आलय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सुराणाम् आलयः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim measures out grain and fodder equal to his own meal and feeds a line of cows near the sacred precinct; devas above open a radiant path to surālaya, signifying the reward of daily cow-feeding.

Characters & Entities

• Go (cows)
• Suras (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained, daily compassion—especially toward cows, symbols of dharma and sustenance—becomes a direct path to divine realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra, in its māhātmya on dāna-phala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily feeding of cows (gavāhnika), in an amount comparable to one’s own daily food.