Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

वंध्या सरोगा हीनांगी दुष्टा वृद्धा मृतप्रजा । अन्यायलब्धा दूरस्था नेदृशी गां प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

vaṃdhyā sarogā hīnāṃgī duṣṭā vṛddhā mṛtaprajā | anyāyalabdhā dūrasthā nedṛśī gāṃ pradāpayet

Translation

On ne doit pas offrir une telle vache : stérile, malade, mutilée, de mauvais caractère, vieille, dont le petit est mort, acquise injustement, ou tenue au loin (sans être réellement remise).

Word by Word

• वंध्या: barren
• वंध्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; qualifying गौः (understood)

• सरोगा: diseased
• सरोगा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (रोगसहित)

• हीनाङ्गी: with defective limbs
• हीनाङ्गी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन + अङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हीनानि अङ्गानि यस्याः)

• दुष्टा: wicked/ill-tempered
• दुष्टा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) from दुष्/दुष् (to be bad)

• वृद्धा: old
• वृद्धा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) from वृध्

• मृतप्रजा: whose offspring is dead
• मृतप्रजा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत + प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मृता प्रजा यस्याः)

• अन्यायलब्धा: obtained unjustly
• अन्यायलब्धा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्याय + लब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) from लभ्; तत्पुरुष (अन्यायेन लब्धा)

• दूरस्था: far away (not present)
• दूरस्था: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दूरे स्थिता)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• ईदृशी: such (of this kind)
• ईदृशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; demonstrative adjective

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• प्रदापयेत्: should give away
• प्रदापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative) of दा: ‘cause to give/give away’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheśvarī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: several cows shown as barren, sick, old, or ill-tempered; a donor hesitates as a brāhmaṇa gestures refusal; the tīrtha setting underscores moral discernment.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must not become a disguise for dumping harm or dishonesty; an unfit gift undermines dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where correct dāna is taught as part of its sacred discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prohibition list for go-dāna: do not donate barren, sick, deformed, old, ill-tempered, unjustly obtained, or improperly transferred cows.