Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

अत्र मत्प्रीतये देवाः प्राणिभिर्धर्मकांक्षिभिः । दातव्या गौः प्रयत्नेन सवत्सा विधिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

atra matprītaye devāḥ prāṇibhirdharmakāṃkṣibhiḥ | dātavyā gauḥ prayatnena savatsā vidhipūrvakam

Translation

“ഹേ ദേവന്മാരേ, ഇവിടെ എന്റെ പ്രീതിക്കായി ധർമ്മം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന ജീവികൾ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം കിടാവോടുകൂടിയ പശുവിനെ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം.”

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• मत्प्रीतये: for my pleasure
• मत्प्रीतये: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास (मत्-सम्बन्धः: ‘मम प्रीतिः’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th); एकवचन

• देवाः: O gods / the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• प्राणिभिः: by living beings
• प्राणिभिः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• धर्मकांक्षिभिः: desiring dharma
• धर्मकांक्षिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कांक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्म-तत्पुरुष: ‘धर्मं कांक्षन्ति ये’); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying प्राणिभिः)

• दातव्या: should be given
• दातव्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be given)

• गौः: a cow
• गौः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सवत्सा: with a calf
• सवत्सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह-तत्पुरुष: ‘वत्सेन सह’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गौः)

• विधिपूर्वकम्: according to proper procedure
• विधिपूर्वकम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (in accordance with rule/ritual)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context—Brahmā addressing Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (Gupta-Hari context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-seeking pilgrim offers a cow with her calf, ritually and carefully, before the deity’s presence; priests recite mantras, water-pot and kusa are used, and the act is framed as pleasing to Hari.

Characters & Entities

• Devāḥ
• Gauḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened by disciplined, rule-based charity performed with devotion to the deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā as a sacred field where prescribed gifts become especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna: gifting a cow along with her calf (savatsā), performed carefully and according to vidhi.