Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गवां च सप्त नियुतं सुवर्णं तावदेव तु । सप्तग्रामान्प्रयच्छामि श्लोकव्याख्यां करोति यः

Transliteration

gavāṃ ca sapta niyutaṃ suvarṇaṃ tāvadeva tu | saptagrāmānprayacchāmi ślokavyākhyāṃ karoti yaḥ

Translation

À celui qui explique ce śloka, j’accorderai sept niyutas de vaches, autant d’or, et sept villages.

Word by Word

• gavām: of cows
• gavām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण; अत्र 'गवाम्' इत्यस्य संख्या-विशेषण (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• niyutam: a niyuta (ten-thousand)
• niyutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• suvarṇam: gold
• suvarṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tāvat: that much
• tāvat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक; अत्र 'सुvarṇam' इत्यस्य परिमाण-विशेषण (quantitative qualifier)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• tu: but/and then
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle; contrast/continuation)

• sapta-grāmān: seven villages
• sapta-grāmān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (संख्या) + grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); द्विगु-समास (numeral compound)

• prayacchāmi: I give
• prayacchāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√yam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• śloka-vyākhyām: explanation of the verse
• śloka-vyākhyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक) + vyākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ślokasya vyākhyā)

• karoti: does/makes
• karoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

Speaker

King Dharmavarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in a courtly sabhā announces a grand reward for whoever can explain a cryptic śloka; attendants display cows, gold, and land-grant documents; learned brāhmaṇas listen attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmavarman (king)
• Cows (gavām)
• Gold (suvarṇa)
• Villages (grāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting dharma-teachers and correct exposition of sacred instruction is itself a meritorious royal duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the tīrtha-centered narrative, but the focus here is royal gifting connected to dharma-interpretation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Royal dāna: gifting cows, gold, and villages as patronage for correct dharmic explanation.