Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

धेनवो यो न शक्तः स्यादेका देया प्रयत्नतः । सर्वेषामेव रुद्राणां भर्तृयज्ञवचो यथा

Transliteration

dhenavo yo na śaktaḥ syādekā deyā prayatnataḥ | sarveṣāmeva rudrāṇāṃ bhartṛyajñavaco yathā

Translation

பல பசுக்களைத் தானம் செய்ய இயலாதவன் முயன்று ஒரு பசுவையாவது தானம் செய்ய வேண்டும்; பர்த்ருயஜ்ஞரின் வாக்கின்படி அது எல்லா ருத்ரர்களுக்கும் உரியதாக ஏற்கப்படுகிறது।

Word by Word

• dhenavaḥ: cows
• dhenavaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhenu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• śaktaḥ: able
• śaktaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakta (प्रातिपदिक; √śak-समर्थे क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• syāt: should be / might be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धा॒तु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ekā: one (cow)
• ekā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• deyā: should be given
• deyā: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धा॒तु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय: यत् (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• prayatnataḥ: with effort
• prayatnataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatnataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: with effort)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• rudrāṇām: of the Rudras
• rudrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bhartṛ-yajña-vacaḥ: the statement of Bhartṛyajña
• bhartṛ-yajña-vacaḥ: Upamana/Pramana (Standard of comparison/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yathā: as; according to
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (comparative particle: as/according to)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Ekādaśa-Rudra-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Brāhmaṇas (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim of modest means offers a single cow with folded hands before a Rudra-sannidhi where multiple Rudra emblems are implied; priests recite mantras, and the cow is adorned with cloth and garlands.

Characters & Entities

• Rudras
• Bhartṛyajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma accommodates capacity: even a single sincere offering can carry comprehensive merit when done with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching continues within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra’s Ekādaśa Rudra vicinity, emphasizing practical dāna there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If multiple cows cannot be donated, donate at least one cow with earnest intent; it is deemed an offering to all Rudras.