Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

हूयेत हव्यं वह्नौ च दानं दद्याद्द्विजातये । गावः सुपूजिताः कार्याश्चातुर्मास्ये विशेषतः

Transliteration

hūyeta havyaṃ vahnau ca dānaṃ dadyāddvijātaye | gāvaḥ supūjitāḥ kāryāścāturmāsye viśeṣataḥ

Translation

聖なる火に供物（ハヴィス）を投じ、二度生まれし者（ドヴィジャ）に布施をなすべし。とりわけチャートゥルマーシャの間は、牛を正しく敬い、礼拝して奉るべきである。

Word by Word

• हूयेत: should be offered (into fire)
• हूयेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• हव्यम्: oblation
• हव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• वह्नौ: in the fire
• वह्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विजातये: to a twice-born (Brāhmaṇa etc.)
• द्विजातये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• सुपूजिताः: well-honoured
• सुपूजिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पूजित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पूज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषण

• कार्याः: should be made/done (i.e., should be treated)
• कार्याः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; कर्तव्यतार्थक (to be done)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: especially)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A modest yajñaśālā: a square fire altar with offerings; a dvija receives dāna; nearby a decorated cow is garlanded and fed, indicating special Cāturmāsya go-pūjā.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (sacred fire)
• Dvija (twice-born)
• Gauḥ (cow)
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cāturmāsya is sanctified by homa and timely charity, with special reverence shown to cows as a dharmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya context but does not name a specific tīrtha in this line; it emphasizes Cāturmāsya-based merit within the pilgrimage framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer havya into Agni (homa), give dāna to dvijas, and perform special worship/honor of cows during Cāturmāsya.