Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

गोपारेश्वरगोदानं यस्तु भक्त्या च कारयेत् । योग्ये द्विजोत्तमे देया योग्या धेनुः सकाञ्चना

Transliteration

gopāreśvaragodānaṃ yastu bhaktyā ca kārayet | yogye dvijottame deyā yogyā dhenuḥ sakāñcanā

Translation

ഭക്തിയോടെ ഗോപാരേശ്വരന്റെ നിമിത്തം ഗോദാനം നടത്തിക്കുന്നവൻ, യോഗ്യനായ ദ്വിജോത്തമനു സ്വർണ്ണസഹിതമായ യോഗ്യമായ ധേനുവിനെ ദാനമായി നൽകണം.

Word by Word

• गोपारेश्वरगोदानम्: the cow-gift to Gopāreśvara
• गोपारेश्वरगोदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपारेश्वर + गोदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (गोपारेश्वरस्य गोदानम्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed/however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव

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

• कारयेत्: should cause (it) to be done / should arrange
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• योग्ये: in/for a worthy (person)
• योग्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण

• द्विजोत्तमे: in/for an excellent brāhmaṇa
• द्विजोत्तमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (उत्तमः द्विजः)

• देया: is to be given / should be given
• देया: Kriya (Predicative obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण

• योग्या: suitable
• योग्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• धेनुः: a cow
• धेनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• सकाञ्चना: together with gold
• सकाञ्चना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष/उपपदसमासः (काञ्चनेन सह)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopāreśvara (Revā-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs go-dāna before a Śiva-liṅga of Gopāreśvara; a worthy brāhmaṇa receives a cow with a small gold offering; Revā’s sacred ambience implied.

Characters & Entities

• Gopāreśvara
• Dwijottama (worthy brāhmaṇa recipient)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by dāna—devotional giving offered properly becomes a purifier and sustains dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopāreśvara Tīrtha, where the act is framed as ‘Gopāreśvara go-dāna’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna: donate a suitable cow along with gold to a worthy brāhmaṇa.