Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

उत्तमां द्युतिमविच्छन्गोषु नित्यं प्रदापयेत् । आज्ञामिच्छेद्यशः कीर्तिमप्सु नित्यं प्रवेशयेत्

Transliteration

uttamāṃ dyutimavicchangoṣu nityaṃ pradāpayet | ājñāmicchedyaśaḥ kīrtimapsu nityaṃ praveśayet

Translation

Seeking excellent radiance, one should continually make offerings to cows. Desiring authority, fame, and renown, one should continually consign them as offerings into waters.

Word by Word

• uttamām: excellent, best
• uttamām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. acc. sg.)

• dyutim: splendour, radiance
• dyutim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dyuti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• avicchan: desiring, seeking
• avicchan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu√iṣ (इष् धातु) + अवि- (उपसर्ग); शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (pres. act. participle, masc. nom. sg.)

• goṣu: among/for the cows
• goṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (loc. pl.)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) (indecl. adverb)

• pradāpayet: should cause to be given / should bestow
• pradāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√dā (दा धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• ājñām: command, authority
• ājñām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• icchet: should desire
• icchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (इष् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• yaśaḥ: fame
• yaśaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.; form = yaśaḥ)

• kīrtim: renown, glory
• kīrtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• apsu: in the waters
• apsu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (loc. pl.)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) (indecl. adverb)

• praveśayet: should cause to enter / should immerse
• praveśayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√viś (विश् धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee feeds cows in a gaushala; in a parallel vignette, he offers flowers/sesame/water-libations into a sacred waterbody, hands cupped, seeking righteous fame.

Characters & Entities

• Cows (Go)
• Waters (Āpaḥ)
• Yaśas
• Kīrti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma connects offerings to specific sacred media (cows, waters) with corresponding life-fruits like splendor and reputation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where dāna and water-based ritual acts are taught as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular giving directed to cows for ‘dyuti’; and regular water-offerings/consignment for ‘ājñā, yaśas, kīrti’.