Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

गां स्पृष्ट्वा ब्राह्मणं नत्वा संपूज्य गुरुदेवताः । तपस्विनं यतिं शांतं श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मचारिणम्

Transliteration

gāṃ spṛṣṭvā brāhmaṇaṃ natvā saṃpūjya gurudevatāḥ | tapasvinaṃ yatiṃ śāṃtaṃ śrotriyaṃ brahmacāriṇam

Translation

Nachdem man die Kuh berührt, sich vor einem Brāhmaṇa verneigt und die Gurus und Gottheiten gebührend verehrt hat; (und indem man) den Asketen, den entsagenden Yati, den Friedvollen, den in den Veden geschulten Śrotriya und den zölibatären Brahmacārin ehrt—(erlangt man großes Verdienst).

Word by Word

• gām: the cow
• gām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• spṛṣṭvā: having touched
• spṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: spṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive); √स्पृश् (having touched)

• brāhmaṇam: a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• natvā: having bowed (to)
• natvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive); √नम् (having bowed)

• saṃpūjya: having worshipped
• saṃpūjya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pūj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive); √पूज् with उपसर्ग sam- (having duly worshipped)

• guru-devatāḥ: gurus and deities
• guru-devatāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru + devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (गुरवः च देवताः च)

• tapasvinam: austerity-practising
• tapasvinam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of yatiṃ/śrotriyaṃ/brahmacāriṇam as a holy person)

• yatim: an ascetic
• yatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• śāntam: peaceful
• śāntam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (peaceful)

• śrotriyam: a Vedic scholar
• śrotriyam: Karma (Object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrotriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; वेदाध्यायी/वेदविद्

• brahmacāriṇam: a celibate student
• brahmacāriṇam: Karma (Object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + cārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मचर्यं चरति इति)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim gently touches a cow, then bows to a brāhmaṇa; nearby, a serene yati and a śrotriya sit under a tree as offerings are presented; the atmosphere is orderly, reverent, and calm.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Gauḥ (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-dharma is completed by reverence—serving cows, honoring brāhmaṇas, and worshiping gurus and deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practices are framed within Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya in the Prabhāsa region, as part of tīrtha conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gau-sparśa (touching the cow), brāhmaṇa-namaskāra (bowing), and pūjā/honor to gurus, deities, ascetics, and Veda-learned persons.