Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तृणाहारपरा गावः कर्त्तव्या भक्तितोऽन्वहम् । अकृत्वा स्वयमाहारं कुर्वन्प्राप्नोति दुर्गतिम्

Transliteration

tṛṇāhāraparā gāvaḥ karttavyā bhaktito'nvaham | akṛtvā svayamāhāraṃ kurvanprāpnoti durgatim

Translation

草を食とする牛は、日々信愛をもって養い仕えるべきである。しかるに自らの食を先にし、牛の毎日の飼い草を与えぬ者は不幸に堕ちる。

Word by Word

• तृणाहारपराः: having grass as food
• तृणाहारपराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (तृणम् आहारः यस्याः/यासाम्)

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

• कर्तव्याः: should be attended to; should be served
• कर्तव्याः: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done/should be cared for)

• भक्तितः: out of devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): भक्तितः = भक्त्या/भक्त्या हेतोः (out of devotion)

• अन्वहम्: daily
• अन्वहम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्वहम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (every day)

• अकृत्वा: without doing
• अकृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), नकार-पूर्वक (negated): न कृत्वा = without doing

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Kartṛ-visheṣaṇa (Agent-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb)

• आहारम्: food
• आहारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्वन्: doing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुर्गतिम्: misfortune; bad destiny
• दुर्गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narratorial voice (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Gāvaḥ (cows)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

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

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

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

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

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