Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

मृगव्याधाय प्रत्यक्षा गौर्देया च गुडोद्भवा । कपालिने प्रदातव्या नवनीतसमुद्भवा

Transliteration

mṛgavyādhāya pratyakṣā gaurdeyā ca guḍodbhavā | kapāline pradātavyā navanītasamudbhavā

Translation

«À Mṛgavyādha, qu’on donne une vache bien réelle associée au guḍa (sucre brut). À Kapālī, qu’on offre une vache associée au navanīta (beurre frais).»

Word by Word

• मृगव्याधाय: to the hunter
• मृगव्याधाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगव्याध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘मृगाणां व्याधः’

• प्रत्यक्षा: manifest/visible
• प्रत्यक्षा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गौः: a cow
• गौः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देया: is to be given
• देया: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be given’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• गुड-उद्भवा: arising from jaggery
• गुड-उद्भवा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुड (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘गुडात् उद्भवा’

• कपालिने: to Kapālin (Śiva)
• कपालिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रदातव्या: should be given
• प्रदातव्या: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be given’

• नवनीत-समुद्भवा: arising from butter
• नवनीत-समुद्भवा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवनीत (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘नवनीतात् समुद्भवा’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ / vipreन्द्राः (brāhmaṇas addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-donor at a Śiva-sannidhi (liṅga shrine) presents a decorated cow; attendants hold vessels of jaggery and fresh butter as ritual tokens; brāhmaṇas witness and recite blessings.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛgavyādha
• Kapālī
• Gau-dāna
• Guḍa (jaggery)
• Navanīta (fresh butter)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit is cultivated through thoughtful, specific charity—matching offerings to sacred recipients with sincerity and clarity of intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prescription operates within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya framework, where such dedicated dānas are taught as spiritually fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give an actual cow to Mṛgavyādha along with/associated with jaggery (guḍa), and give a cow to Kapālī along with/associated with fresh butter (navanīta).