Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

हिरण्यं पुष्पवासांसि गावः कामदुघा नृप । स्वर्णालंकरणं सर्वं नानावस्तुचयं तथा

Transliteration

hiraṇyaṃ puṣpavāsāṃsi gāvaḥ kāmadughā nṛpa | svarṇālaṃkaraṇaṃ sarvaṃ nānāvastucayaṃ tathā

Translation

De l’or, des vêtements parés de fleurs, des vaches exauçant les désirs, ô roi ; toute espèce d’ornements d’or, et des amas de biens variés encore.

Word by Word

• हिरण्यम्: gold
• हिरण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; दान-वस्तु (enumeration)

• पुष्पवासांसि: flower-garments / garments with flowers
• पुष्पवासांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प-वासस् (प्रातिपदिक; पुष्प + वासस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; दान-वस्तु

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; दान-वस्तु

• कामदुघाः: wish-fulfilling (milch)
• कामदुघाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-दुघा (प्रातिपदिक; काम + दुह्(धातु)→दुघा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘गावः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• स्वर्णालंकरणम्: gold ornamentation / ornaments of gold
• स्वर्णालंकरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण-आलंकरण (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ण + आलंकरण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; दान-वस्तु

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘स्वर्णालंकरणम्’/समुदायस्य विशेषणम्

• नानावस्तुचयम्: a collection of various items
• नानावस्तुचयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना-वस्तु-चय (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + वस्तु + चय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; दान-वस्तु

• तथा: and also / likewise
• तथा: Discourse/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Brāhma Khaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sukhavāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king) addressed in-verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal donation scene: heaps of gold, garments adorned with flowers, cows presented as kāmadughā, and glittering ornaments laid out before dvijas; attendants carry trays of gifts.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛpa (king)
• Kāmadughā cows

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Generous gifting—especially to the learned and righteous—purifies wealth and strengthens dharma in society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The gifts are situated in the Dharmāraṇya narrative context, supporting the sanctity of that region and its settled community.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse lists dāna-items (gold, cows, ornaments, garments), implying formal charitable bestowal as part of dharmic kingship.