Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कपिलां दत्त्वा यदाप्नोति तत्फलं कलशे पृथक् । मृत्ताम्ररौप्यसौवर्णैः क्रमाच्छतगुणं फलम्

Transliteration

kapilāṃ dattvā yadāpnoti tatphalaṃ kalaśe pṛthak | mṛttāmraraupyasauvarṇaiḥ kramācchataguṇaṃ phalam

Translation

Whatever fruit is gained by gifting a tawny cow, that same fruit is gained separately by offering a kalaśa, a water-pot. With pots of clay, copper, silver, and gold respectively, the result becomes a hundredfold in ascending order.

Word by Word

• kapilām: a tawny cow (kapilā)
• kapilām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriya (Action qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धा॒तु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), परस्मैपदी; अर्थः—‘दत्त्वा’ = having given

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• āpnoti: obtains
• āpnoti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धा॒तु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tat-phalam: that fruit/result
• tat-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (tat eva phalam)

• kalaśe: in a pot
• kalaśe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• pṛthak: separately
• pṛthak: Kriya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• mṛt-tāmra-raupya-sauvarṇaiḥ: with (pots) of clay, copper, silver, and gold
• mṛt-tāmra-raupya-sauvarṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + tāmra (प्रातिपदिक) + raupya (प्रातिपदिक) + sauvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः समाहार-द्वन्द्वः

• kramāt: successively
• kramāt: Kriya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् (adverbial use), पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण ‘क्रमात्’ = क्रमशः

• śata-guṇam: hundredfold
• śata-guṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (śatena guṇena yuktam) विशेषणम् (phalam इति)

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor presents a kalaśa to a priest/temple, with four pots displayed—clay, copper, silver, gold—while a tawny cow stands nearby as the benchmark gift; the deity’s shrine in the background signifies dedication.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā (tawny cow)
• Kalaśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic charity values intention and sacred utility; even a kalaśa-dāna can rival major gifts, and superior materials amplify merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on dāna (charitable gifting) as a dharmic act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering a kalaśa (water-pot), with increasing merit when made of clay, copper, silver, and gold.