Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

रोमसंख्यानि वर्षाणि स्वर्गे तिष्ठति मानवः । तस्मात्सर्वात्मना राजन्गोदानं च समाचरेत्

Transliteration

romasaṃkhyāni varṣāṇi svarge tiṣṭhati mānavaḥ | tasmātsarvātmanā rājangodānaṃ ca samācaret

Translation

L’homme demeure au ciel autant d’années qu’il y a de poils sur son corps. C’est pourquoi, ô Roi, de tout son être, on doit accomplir dûment le go-dāna, le don de la vache.

Word by Word

• रोमसंख्यानि: as many as the hairs (hair-count)
• रोमसंख्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोम + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (वर्षाणि); समासः—रोम्णां संख्या (रोम-परिमाण-समान)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तिष्ठति: stays/abides
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• मानवः: a man/person
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (therefore)

• सर्वात्मना: with one’s whole self/entirely
• सर्वात्मना: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेण आत्मना (पूर्ण-मनसा/समग्र-स्वभावेन)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• गोदानम्: cow-donation
• गोदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—गवां दानम्

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāha Tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (‘rājan’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic visualization of the phala: after go-dāna at the tīrtha, the donor is shown ascending to svarga, welcomed by celestial beings; the ‘hairs on the body’ motif is hinted by a shimmering aura of countless points of light representing innumerable years.

Characters & Entities

• svarga
• godāna
• King (listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity—especially go-dāna—is portrayed as a supreme dharmic act yielding vast heavenly merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement continues the Vārāha Tīrtha context where go-dāna is especially extolled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna performed wholeheartedly (sarvātmanā) as a recommended tīrtha-act.