Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

रौप्यपादां स्वर्णशृङ्गीं रुद्रलोके महीयते । एकां गां दशगुर्दद्याद्गोशती च तथा दश

Transliteration

raupyapādāṃ svarṇaśṛṅgīṃ rudraloke mahīyate | ekāṃ gāṃ daśagurdadyādgośatī ca tathā daśa

Translation

വെള്ളി കുളമ്പുകളും സ്വർണ്ണ കൊമ്പുകളും ഉള്ള ഗാവ് രുദ്രലോകത്തിൽ മഹത്വം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. ഒരു ഗാവിനെ പത്തിരട്ടി ദക്ഷിണയോടെ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം; അതുപോലെ നൂറു ഗാവിനെയും പത്തിരട്ടി ദക്ഷിണയോടെ ദാനം ചെയ്യാം.

Word by Word

• रौप्यपादाम्: having silver feet/hooves
• रौप्यपादाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौप्य + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (रौप्याः पादाः यस्याः)

• स्वर्णशृङ्गीम्: golden-horned
• स्वर्णशृङ्गीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण + शृङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वर्ण-शृङ्गा)

• रुद्रलोके: in Rudra's world
• रुद्रलोके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (रुद्रस्य लोकः)

• महीयते: is honored/glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (is honored)

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• गाम्: cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• दशगुः: (merit equal to) ten cows
• दशगुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + गु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (दश गवः = ten cows) used as measure/standard

• दद्यात्: should give / would give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• गोशती: a hundred cows
• गोशती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + शती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (गवां शती = hundred of cows)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, manner/adverb (in the same way)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (संख्यावाचक) प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; here qualifying implied गवः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheśvarī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a devotee presents a well-kept cow adorned with silvered hooves and gilded horns to a seated brāhmaṇa near a shrine; in the background, a luminous vision of Rudra-loka suggests the fruit of the gift.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly adorned and properly accompanied gifts (with dakṣiṇā) are said to yield exalted results, reaching Rudra’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose māhātmya the fruits and forms of go-dāna are described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna with appropriate adornment and an accompanying tenfold dakṣiṇā; scalable from one cow to larger offerings.