Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

धेनुं स्वलंकृतां दद्यादनेन विधिना ततः । क्षमाप्य देवदेवेशं ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेद्बहून्

Transliteration

dhenuṃ svalaṃkṛtāṃ dadyādanena vidhinā tataḥ | kṣamāpya devadeveśaṃ brāhmaṇān bhojayedbahūn

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ഇതേ വിധിപ്രകാരം നന്നായി അലങ്കരിച്ച ധേനുവിനെ ദാനമായി നൽകണം; ദേവദേവേശ്വരനോട് ക്ഷമ യാചിച്ച് അനേകം ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർക്ക് ഭോജനവും നൽകണം॥

Word by Word

• धेनुम्: a cow
• धेनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• सु-अलंकृताम्: well-adorned
• सु-अलंकृताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + अलंकृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘धेनुम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (अलंकृ-धातोः)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आदेश), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विधिना: by the procedure; method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (अनन्तर/क्रम)

• क्षमाप्य: having asked forgiveness; having appeased
• क्षमाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षम् (धातु) → क्षमाप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), ‘क्षमापयित्वा’ अर्थे

• देवदेवेशम्: the Lord of the gods
• देवदेवेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘देवानां देवः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः + ‘ईशः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• भोजयेत्: should feed
• भोजयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) (णिच्) → भोजय (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (कारयति)

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice, likely Sūta speaking in Āvantya Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha context (implicit)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nareśvara/king (contextual addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor presents a richly adorned cow to a brāhmaṇa, while mentally/ritually seeking Śiva’s pardon; nearby, rows of brāhmaṇas are seated for feeding.

Characters & Entities

• Dhenu (cow)
• Deva-deveśa (Śiva)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is completed by humility and generosity—seeking pardon and supporting the learned through feeding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context links these acts to the sanctity and merit associated with the Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate an adorned cow, seek forgiveness from Śiva, and feed many brāhmaṇas.