Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

धेनुस्तत्रैव दातव्या सम्यग्यात्राफलेप्सुभिः

Transliteration

dhenustatraiva dātavyā samyagyātrāphalepsubhiḥ

Translation

Ceux qui désirent le fruit complet du pèlerinage doivent offrir une vache sur place, en ce lieu sacré.

Word by Word

• धेनुः: a cow
• धेनुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (thing to be given)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis ‘indeed/only’)

• दातव्या: should be given
• दातव्या: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय ‘should be given’

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (properly)

• यात्राफलेप्सुभिः: by those who desire the fruit of the pilgrimage
• यात्राफलेप्सुभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा + फल + ईप्सु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे (by those desiring the fruit of pilgrimage)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Tryaṃbakeśvara area)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at Prabhāsa after darśana, leading a decorated cow with a cloth, garland, and water-pot; a priest recites saṅkalpa near a shrine, with the sea-breeze and temple flags in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Dhenudāna (cow donation)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected by generosity; dāna seals the merit of yātrā and aligns the devotee with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The pilgrimage setting is Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextually, the Tryambakeśvara/Kapāleśvara circuit).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dhenudāna—donate a cow at the sacred place—to obtain the full fruit (samyak yātrā-phala) of the pilgrimage.