Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

स्वशक्त्या राति नो तस्य पीडा कार्या त्वया विभो । कृष्णां गां यस्तु विप्राय तवोद्देशेन यच्छति

Transliteration

svaśaktyā rāti no tasya pīḍā kāryā tvayā vibho | kṛṣṇāṃ gāṃ yastu viprāya tavoddeśena yacchati

Translation

Wahai Tuhan Yang Maha Berkuasa, sesiapa yang memberi sedekah menurut kemampuannya—janganlah engkau menimpakan penderitaan kepadanya. Dan sesiapa yang, demi engkau, menghadiahkan seekor lembu hitam kepada seorang brāhmaṇa—

Word by Word

• sva-śaktyā: according to one’s capacity
• sva-śaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (svā śaktiḥ = one’s own capacity)

• rāti: gives
• rāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √rā ‘to give’

• naḥ: not
• naḥ: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: naḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; here = ‘not’ in Vedic/epic usage, equivalent to na)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• pīḍā: affliction
• pīḍā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kāryā: to be done; should be done
• kāryā: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kārya (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (यत्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; agrees with pīḍā

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• vibho: O Lord; O mighty one
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• kṛṣṇām: black
• kṛṣṇām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies gām

• gām: cow
• gām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; contrast/emphasis)

• viprāya: to a Brahmin
• viprāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• tava-uddeśena: for your sake; in your name
• tava-uddeśena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tava (युष्मद्-षष्ठी) + uddeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tava uddeśaḥ = your intention/dedication; ‘in your name’)

• yacchati: gives; bestows
• yacchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Pippalāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śani addressed as Vibho (Lord)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers gifts according to capacity; a black cow is respectfully donated to a brāhmaṇa with Śani invoked, while Śani’s sternness dissolves into protective calm.

Characters & Entities

• Śanaiścara
• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• Black cow (kṛṣṇā gā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna done with sincerity and within one’s means is upheld as a dharmic remedy that invites protection and reduces suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This line emphasizes charitable acts dedicated to Śanaiścara; it does not specify a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving charity according to one’s capacity, and specifically donating a black cow to a brāhmaṇa in Śanaiścara’s name.