Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

सावर्णिना च गाथे द्वे कीर्तिते श्रृणु ये पुरा । वृषो हि भगवान्धर्मो वृषभो यस्य वाहनम्

Transliteration

sāvarṇinā ca gāthe dve kīrtite śrṛṇu ye purā | vṛṣo hi bhagavāndharmo vṛṣabho yasya vāhanam

Translation

Dengarlah dua gāthā yang dahulu pernah dilagukan oleh Sāvarṇi. “Dharma sesungguhnya ialah Lembu yang diberkati; dan Dia yang kenderaannya lembu…”

Word by Word

• सावर्णिना: by Sāvarṇi
• सावर्णिना: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावर्णि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

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

• गाथे: two verses (gāthās)
• गाथे: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (Feminine, Nom/Acc, Dual)

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (Feminine, Nom/Acc, Dual); संख्याविशेषणम् (numeral adjective qualifying 'गाथे')

• कीर्तिते: were proclaimed/recited
• कीर्तिते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle used predicatively), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (Feminine, Nom/Acc, Dual)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपदी, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (Imperative, 2nd person, Singular)

• ये: which/that (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• वृषः: bull
• वृषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• भगवान्: venerable, divine
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying 'धर्मः')

• धर्मः: Dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• वृषभः: bull
• वृषभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular); सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वाहनम्: vehicle, mount
• वाहनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Sārasvata (introducing an older citation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage (Sāvarṇi) recites two gāthās to attentive listeners; behind him appears a luminous bull embodying Dharma, and Śiva with Nandin as vāhana, visually merging the two symbols.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvarṇi
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It invokes an authoritative ancient citation linking dharma with the bull-symbol, preparing a teaching that elevates dharma and Śaiva devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces traditional gāthās as doctrinal support.