Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

व्रतान्ते चैव गौर्धुर्यैः शिवमुद्दिश्य दीयते । प्रीयतां मे महादेवः सपत्नीको वृषध्वजः

Transliteration

vratānte caiva gaurdhuryaiḥ śivamuddiśya dīyate | prīyatāṃ me mahādevaḥ sapatnīko vṛṣadhvajaḥ

Translation

Et à la fin du vœu, l’on doit donner d’excellentes vaches, en consacrant l’offrande à Śiva. «Que Mahādeva, au drapeau du taureau, avec son Épouse, soit satisfait de moi».

Word by Word

• व्रतान्ते: at the end of the vow
• व्रतान्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—व्रतस्य अन्तः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (restrictive particle)

• गौर्धुर्यैः: with draught-oxen / bullocks
• गौर्धुर्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + धुर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—गवां धुर्याः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• शिवम्: to Śiva
• शिवम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/uddeśya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: intending (for)
• उद्दिश्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having intended/for the sake of’

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

• प्रीयताम्: may (he) be pleased
• प्रीयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आशीर्लिङ्गार्थे ‘may be pleased’

• मे: my, of me
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महान् देवः (कर्मधारय)

• सपत्नीकः: with (his) consort
• सपत्नीकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पत्नी + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—पत्नी अस्ति यस्य सः

• वृषध्वजः: the bull-bannered one (Śiva)
• वृषध्वजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—वृषः ध्वजः यस्य (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे रूढि/तत्पुरुष-रूप)

Speaker

Narrator (prescriptive/ritual instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṅgaleśvara-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kingly addressee (Pāṇḍunandana context continues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vrata completion ceremony: a devotee offers excellent cows to a worthy brāhmaṇa, with a Śiva shrine nearby; the donor recites, ‘May Mahādeva, bull-bannered, with His consort, be pleased.’

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādeva
• Vṛṣadhvaja
• Cow-gift (go-dāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity dedicated to Śiva, especially at a vow’s completion, is framed as a direct means to divine satisfaction and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in the Māṅgaleśvara tīrtha account of Revā-khaṇḍa, though the verse itself emphasizes vow-completion gifts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At the end of the vow, give excellent cows as a Śiva-dedicated donation and recite a prayer for Mahādeva’s pleasure.