Shloka 23

Mahādāna-prakaraṇa (The Doctrine of Great Gifts): Suvarṇa–Go–Bhūmi and Tulā-dāna

Devanagari script

तैस्तैर्गुणैः कामदुघा भूत्वा सा गौरुपैति तम् । प्रदातारं नरं व्यास परत्रेह च जन्मनि

Transliteration

taistairguṇaiḥ kāmadughā bhūtvā sā gaurupaiti tam | pradātāraṃ naraṃ vyāsa paratreha ca janmani

Translation

それらの徳を具えたその牝牛は、願いを叶える施与者となり、これを捧げた男に随う—おおヴィヤーサよ—この世にも彼世にも、さらに未来の生においても。

Word by Word

• taiḥ: by those
• taiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• taiḥ: by those (various)
• taiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); repetition for distributive sense

• guṇaiḥ: qualities
• guṇaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• kāma-dughā: wish-fulfilling (milking desires)
• kāma-dughā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + duh (धातु; √duh ‘to milk’) → dughā (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘kāmaṃ dugdhī’ = yielding desires

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय), avyaya; ‘having become’

• sā: she (the cow)
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• gauḥ: cow
• gauḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• upaiti: approaches
• upaiti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa+√i (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• pradātāram: the giver/donor
• pradātāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra+√dā (धातु) → pradātṛ (कृदन्त; तृच्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agent noun ‘giver’

• naram: man
• naram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to ‘pradātāram’

• vyāsa: O Vyāsa
• vyāsa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• paratra: in the hereafter
• paratra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paratra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/देश-कालवाचक अव्यय

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/देशवाचक अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• janmani: in (a) birth
• janmani: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Gaurī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that dharmic giving (dāna) generates enduring merit: the gift becomes a continuing source of auspicious results that accompanies the devotee across worlds and even future births, supporting progress toward Shiva’s grace.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

In Shaiva practice, offerings and charity performed with devotion to Saguna Shiva (as worship of the Linga and service to beings) refine the soul’s qualities (guṇas), making merit a vehicle that draws the devotee steadily toward Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform dāna—especially cow-gift or food/essential charity—dedicating the fruit to Lord Shiva, and support it with japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to spiritualize the act and its karmic results.