Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

धेनुं दद्याद्द्विजे योग्ये सर्वाभरणभूषिताम् । निर्ममो निरहङ्कारो दानं दद्याद्द्विजातये

Transliteration

dhenuṃ dadyāddvije yogye sarvābharaṇabhūṣitām | nirmamo nirahaṅkāro dānaṃ dadyāddvijātaye

Translation

യോഗ്യനായ ദ്വിജനു സർവാഭരണങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിച്ച ധേനുവിനെ ദാനമായി നൽകണം. മമതയും അഹങ്കാരവും വിട്ട് ദ്വിജാതിക്കു ദാനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• dhenum: a cow
• dhenum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhenu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन

• dvije: to a Brahmin
• dvije: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative); एकवचन

• yogye: worthy
• yogye: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yogya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचन; विशेषण (dvije)

• sarva-ābharaṇa-bhūṣitām: adorned with all ornaments
• sarva-ābharaṇa-bhūṣitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ābharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (adorned with all ornaments); विशेषण (dhenum)

• nirmamaḥ: free from possessiveness
• nirmamaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir + mama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्तरि)

• nirahaṅkāraḥ: without ego
• nirahaṅkāraḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir + ahaṅkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्तरि)

• dānam: a gift/charity
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन

• dvijātaye: to the twice-born (Brahmin class)
• dvijātaye: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative); एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Revākhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-Varāha/Revā-tīra observance (dāna culmination)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank after rites, a devotee offers a well-adorned cow to a learned brāhmaṇa; the giver’s posture is humble, hands lowered; ornaments gleam, but the mood stresses renunciation rather than spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes sacred when offered to the worthy with humility—without attachment or pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Revā-kṣetra context is implied; this verse emphasizes dharma practice during the pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna—donating an ornamented cow to a qualified dvija, done in a spirit of detachment.