Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

स्वशक्त्या राति नो तस्य पीडा कार्या त्वया विभो । कृष्णां गां यस्तु विप्राय तवोद्देशेन यच्छति

Transliteration

svaśaktyā rāti no tasya pīḍā kāryā tvayā vibho | kṛṣṇāṃ gāṃ yastu viprāya tavoddeśena yacchati

Translation

Ô Seigneur, celui qui donne selon sa propre capacité—ne lui inflige aucune souffrance. Et quiconque, pour toi, offre une vache noire à un brāhmane—

Word by Word

• sva-śaktyā: according to one’s capacity
• sva-śaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (svā śaktiḥ = one’s own capacity)

• rāti: gives
• rāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √rā ‘to give’

• naḥ: not
• naḥ: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: naḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; here = ‘not’ in Vedic/epic usage, equivalent to na)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• pīḍā: affliction
• pīḍā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kāryā: to be done; should be done
• kāryā: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kārya (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (यत्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; agrees with pīḍā

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• vibho: O Lord; O mighty one
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• kṛṣṇām: black
• kṛṣṇām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies gām

• gām: cow
• gām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; contrast/emphasis)

• viprāya: to a Brahmin
• viprāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• tava-uddeśena: for your sake; in your name
• tava-uddeśena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tava (युष्मद्-षष्ठी) + uddeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tava uddeśaḥ = your intention/dedication; ‘in your name’)

• yacchati: gives; bestows
• yacchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Pippalāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śani addressed as Vibho (Lord)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers gifts according to capacity; a black cow is respectfully donated to a brāhmaṇa with Śani invoked, while Śani’s sternness dissolves into protective calm.

Characters & Entities

• Śanaiścara
• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• Black cow (kṛṣṇā gā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna done with sincerity and within one’s means is upheld as a dharmic remedy that invites protection and reduces suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This line emphasizes charitable acts dedicated to Śanaiścara; it does not specify a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving charity according to one’s capacity, and specifically donating a black cow to a brāhmaṇa in Śanaiścara’s name.