Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

गवां शुश्रूरूषकाये च गोप्रदाये च मानवाः । एषामन्यतमे लोके ते स्युः सर्वसमृद्धयः

Transliteration

gavāṃ śuśrūrūṣakāye ca gopradāye ca mānavāḥ | eṣāmanyatame loke te syuḥ sarvasamṛddhayaḥ

Translation

Ceux qui servent les vaches et ceux qui les offrent en dāna, don sacré—ils demeurent dans l’un ou l’autre de ces mondes, comblés de toute prospérité.

Word by Word

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th case), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• शुश्रूषकाये: in (the act of) service
• शुश्रूषकाये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/7th case), एकवचन — Locative singular; ‘in the service (of cows)’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• गोप्रदाये: in (the act of) giving cows
• गोप्रदाये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + प्रदाय (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन — Locative singular; गवां प्रदायः (gift/donation of cows)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• मानवाः: people/men
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st case), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th case), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; ‘of these (two)’

• अन्यतमे: in one (among them)
• अन्यतमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्यतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन — Locative singular; ‘in one of (these)’; विशेषण (qualifying लोके)

• लोके: in the world/realm
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/7th case), एकवचन — Locative singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• स्युः: would be/shall be
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Optative, 3rd pl

• सर्वसमृद्धयः: fully prosperous / possessing all prosperity
• सर्वसमृद्धयः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; ‘सर्वाः समृद्धयः’ = all prosperities; विशेषण (predicate adjective for ‘ते’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two parallel vignettes: (1) a devotee washing and feeding a cow, applying sandal paste, offering grass; (2) a formal go-dāna scene with a brāhmaṇa recipient, sacred thread, water-pouring (saṅkalpa), and the cow adorned with cloth and garland; above, a luminous path leading to celestial realms.

Characters & Entities

• Cow service (Go-sevā)
• Cow donation (Go-pradāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service and charity toward cows are proclaimed as direct causes of prosperity and elevated posthumous destinations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions within Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma instruction rather than naming a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice go-sevā (attentive service to cows) and/or go-pradāna (donation of cows).