Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सवत्सां घण्टासंयुक्तां कांस्यपात्रावदोहिनीम् । ददते ये नृपश्रेष्ठ न ते यान्ति यमालयम्

Transliteration

savatsāṃ ghaṇṭāsaṃyuktāṃ kāṃsyapātrāvadohinīm | dadate ye nṛpaśreṣṭha na te yānti yamālayam

Translation

Wahai raja terbaik, mereka yang mendermakan sapi beserta anaknya, dihiasi lonceng, serta disertai bejana perunggu untuk memerah susu—para dermawan itu tidak pergi ke kediaman Yama.

Word by Word

• सवत्साम्: with a calf
• सवत्साम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (वत्सेन सह/सवत्सा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular); विशेषणम् (धेनुम् implied)

• घण्टासंयुक्ताम्: fitted with a bell
• घण्टासंयुक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghaṇṭā + saṃyukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (घण्टया संयुक्ता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular); विशेषणम्

• कांस्यपात्रावदोहिनीम्: milked into a bronze vessel
• कांस्यपात्रावदोहिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāṃsya + pātra + avadohinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कांस्यपात्रेण अवदोहिनी/दोहनी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular); विशेषणम्

• ददते: give
• ददते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person plural, Ātmanepada)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठः नृपः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); सर्वनाम

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person plural, Parasmaipada)

• यमालयम्: the abode of Yama
• यमालयम्: Gati-karma (Destination/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य आलयः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly donor presents a cow with her calf, a bell around her neck, and a bronze milking vessel; in the background, Yama’s dark city recedes or is barred, symbolizing exemption.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Go-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed with completeness and care (properly endowed gifts) is said to protect one from fearful post-death destinies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-context in the Revā Khaṇḍa, where dāna is taught as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate a cow along with her calf, a bell, and a bronze milking vessel.