Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

स्फुटान्प्रश्नानिमान्सप्त यदि वक्ष्यसि ब्राह्मण । ततो गवां सप्तनियुतं सुवर्णं तावदेव तु

Transliteration

sphuṭānpraśnānimānsapta yadi vakṣyasi brāhmaṇa | tato gavāṃ saptaniyutaṃ suvarṇaṃ tāvadeva tu

Translation

«Si tu réponds à ces sept questions limpides, ô brāhmane, alors je donnerai sept mille vaches — et une quantité égale d’or également.»

Word by Word

• स्फुटान्: clear, explicit
• स्फुटान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• प्रश्नान्: questions
• प्रश्नान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praśna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• इमान्: these
• इमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, अव्ययवत्/सर्वलिङ्ग (indeclinable numeral), द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• वक्ष्यसि: you will tell
• वक्ष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ब्राह्मण: O brahmin
• ब्राह्मण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तदर्थ-क्रमवाचक (then/thereupon)

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (गो-शब्दः), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• सप्तनियुतम्: amounting to seven niyutas
• सप्तनियुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + niyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (सप्त नियुतानि प्रमाणं यस्य)

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तावत्: that much
• तावत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, exactly
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

Speaker

The King

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka et al. (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king or noble patron offers an immense reward—seven thousand cows and equal gold—to a brāhmaṇa for answering seven questions; attendants, cattle in the distance, heaps of gold, and a formal pledge gesture.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• cows (gavām)
• gold (suvarṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kings uphold dharma by honoring sacred knowledge and supporting teachers through generous, traditional gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular holy place is mentioned; the verse highlights the dharmic economy of knowledge and dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vow of gifting cows and gold (go-dāna and suvarṇa-dāna) contingent on answering doctrinal questions.