Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

धेनुदानं प्रशंसंति तस्मिन्स्थाने महर्षयः । धेनुदस्तारयेन्नूनं दश पूर्वान्दशापरान्

Transliteration

dhenudānaṃ praśaṃsaṃti tasminsthāne maharṣayaḥ | dhenudastārayennūnaṃ daśa pūrvāndaśāparān

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലത്ത് മഹർഷിമാർ ഗോദാനത്തെ പ്രശംസിക്കുന്നു. നിശ്ചയമായും ഗോദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ പത്ത് മുൻതലമുറകളെയും പത്ത് പിന്നീടുള്ള തലമുറകളെയും തരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• धेनुदानम्: cow-gift
• धेनुदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — gift of a cow

• प्रशंसन्ति: praise
• प्रशंसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद — praise

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — in that

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — in the place

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — great sages

• धेनुदः: the cow-donor
• धेनुदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु + द (दा धातु से; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — giver of a cow

• तारयेत्: should save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — should ferry across/save

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (adverb: surely)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत्/प्रातिपदिकरूपेण; (here) द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थे — ten

• पूर्वान्: previous (ancestors)
• पूर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — former/previous

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत्/प्रातिपदिकरूपेण; (here) द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थे — ten

• अपरान्: later (descendants)
• अपरान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — later/following

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Ādityeśa area)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages in a sacred coastal kṣetra praise the gifting of a decorated cow to a worthy brāhmaṇa, with Śiva’s shrine in the background and pilgrims witnessing the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Maharṣayaḥ
• Dhenu-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed in a sanctified place multiplies in effect, benefiting not only the donor but entire lineages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The referenced sacred locale is within Prabhāsa Kṣetra (context of Ādityeśvara/Ratneśvara circuit).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhenu-dāna—donation of a cow—is specifically recommended and praised.