Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

धर्मे दद्यात्पशून्वृद्धान्पुष्यादेषा कृषिः कुतः । सारमेतत्कृषेस्तेन नंदभद्रेण चादृतम्

Transliteration

dharme dadyātpaśūnvṛddhānpuṣyādeṣā kṛṣiḥ kutaḥ | sārametatkṛṣestena naṃdabhadreṇa cādṛtam

Translation

ധർമ്മാർത്ഥമായി വൃദ്ധപശുക്കളെ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം; അപ്പോൾ പാപഭാരമില്ലാതെ കൃഷി യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ എങ്ങനെ പുഷ്ടിയാകും? ഇതുതന്നെ കൃഷിയുടെ സാരം; നന്ദഭദ്രൻ അതിനെ ആദരത്തോടെ അംഗീകരിച്ചു സ്ഥാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• धर्मे: in/with regard to dharma
• धर्मे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन (Singular)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• पशून्: animals, cattle
• पशून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन (Plural)

• वृद्धान्: old, aged
• वृद्धान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (qualifying पशून्)

• पुष्याद्: should nourish/maintain
• पुष्याद्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• एषा: this (she/this one)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• कृषिः: agriculture, farming
• कृषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular); एषा इति सह सामानाधिकरण्यम्

• कुतः: from where? how (possible)?
• कुतः: Sambandha/Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (interrogative particle/adverb)

• सारम्: essence, gist
• सारम्: Karma/Predicate (Object or predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.); एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.); एकवचन (Singular); सारम् इति विशेषण/समानाधिकरण

• कृषेः: of agriculture
• कृषेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन (Singular)

• तेन: by that/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• नंदभद्रेण: by Nandabhadra
• नंदभद्रेण: Karana/Karta (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नंदभद्र (प्रातिपदिक; नन्द + भद्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• आदृतम्: was respected/accepted
• आदृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative mode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandabhadra instructs householders: an agrarian courtyard with elderly cows being gently led to a shelter/temple-goshala; farmers offering fodder and water, with a calm ethical discourse in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected by generosity and responsibility toward living beings; prosperity is hollow if it rests on harm or neglect.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named in this verse; it preserves a dharma-teaching attributed to Nandabhadra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is prescribed: donate aged cattle for dharma (as an act of responsibility and merit).