Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

रोमसंख्यानि वर्षाणि स्वर्गे तिष्ठति मानवः । तस्मात्सर्वात्मना राजन्गोदानं च समाचरेत्

Transliteration

romasaṃkhyāni varṣāṇi svarge tiṣṭhati mānavaḥ | tasmātsarvātmanā rājangodānaṃ ca samācaret

Translation

El ser humano permanece en el cielo tantos años como pelos hay en su cuerpo. Por eso, oh Rey, con todo el ser debe cumplirse debidamente el go-dāna, el don de la vaca.

Word by Word

• रोमसंख्यानि: as many as the hairs (hair-count)
• रोमसंख्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोम + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (वर्षाणि); समासः—रोम्णां संख्या (रोम-परिमाण-समान)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तिष्ठति: stays/abides
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• मानवः: a man/person
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (therefore)

• सर्वात्मना: with one’s whole self/entirely
• सर्वात्मना: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेण आत्मना (पूर्ण-मनसा/समग्र-स्वभावेन)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• गोदानम्: cow-donation
• गोदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—गवां दानम्

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāha Tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (‘rājan’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic visualization of the phala: after go-dāna at the tīrtha, the donor is shown ascending to svarga, welcomed by celestial beings; the ‘hairs on the body’ motif is hinted by a shimmering aura of countless points of light representing innumerable years.

Characters & Entities

• svarga
• godāna
• King (listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity—especially go-dāna—is portrayed as a supreme dharmic act yielding vast heavenly merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement continues the Vārāha Tīrtha context where go-dāna is especially extolled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna performed wholeheartedly (sarvātmanā) as a recommended tīrtha-act.