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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

तृणाहारपरा गावः कर्त्तव्या भक्तितोऽन्वहम् । अकृत्वा स्वयमाहारं कुर्वन्प्राप्नोति दुर्गतिम्

tṛṇāhāraparā gāvaḥ karttavyā bhaktito'nvaham | akṛtvā svayamāhāraṃ kurvanprāpnoti durgatim

Les vaches—dont la nourriture n’est que l’herbe—doivent être servies chaque jour avec dévotion. Mais celui qui se nourrit lui-même sans leur donner leur fourrage quotidien tombe dans l’infortune.

तृणाहारपराःhaving grass as food
तृणाहारपराः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootतृण (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (तृणम् आहारः यस्याः/यासाम्)
गावःcows
गावः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगो (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
कर्तव्याःshould be attended to; should be served
कर्तव्याः:
Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootकृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formकृदन्त (तव्यत्/gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done/should be cared for)
भक्तितःout of devotion
भक्तितः:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootभक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): भक्तितः = भक्त्या/भक्त्या हेतोः (out of devotion)
अन्वहम्daily
अन्वहम्:
Kala (Time/काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअन्वहम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक (every day)
अकृत्वाwithout doing
अकृत्वा:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), नकार-पूर्वक (negated): न कृत्वा = without doing
स्वयम्oneself
स्वयम्:
Kartṛ-visheṣaṇa (Agent-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्वयम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb)
आहारम्food
आहारम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootआहार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
कुर्वन्doing
कुर्वन्:
Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formवर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग
प्राप्नोतिattains
प्राप्नोति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + आप् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
दुर्गतिम्misfortune; bad destiny
दुर्गतिम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदुर्गति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Narratorial voice (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Scene: A simple cowshed scene: cows eating grass; a householder offers fodder with folded hands; in contrast, a shadowed figure eats alone, symbolizing neglect and impending misfortune.

G
Gāvaḥ (cows)

FAQs

Dharma begins with compassionate daily duty—serving and sustaining dependents before self-indulgence.

Prabhāsakṣetra, where acts like go-sevā are described as powerful sources of merit.

Offer daily fodder/service to cows with devotion; do not eat first while neglecting their needs.