Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

रुष्टा क्लिष्टा दुर्बला व्याधिता च न दातव्या या च मूल्यैरदत्तैः । लेशो विप्रेभ्यो यया जायते वै तस्या दातुश्चाफलाः सर्वलोकाः

Transliteration

ruṣṭā kliṣṭā durbalā vyādhitā ca na dātavyā yā ca mūlyairadattaiḥ | leśo viprebhyo yayā jāyate vai tasyā dātuścāphalāḥ sarvalokāḥ

Translation

కోపంగా ఉన్న, బాధపడుతున్న, బలహీనమైన లేదా వ్యాధిగ్రస్తమైన గోవును దానం చేయరాదు; అలాగే ధరను విధిగా చెల్లించకుండా పొందినదాన్ని కూడా ఇవ్వకూడదు. ఆ దానంతో బ్రాహ్మణులకు స్వల్పమైనా అసంతృప్తి కలిగితే, దాతకు అన్ని లోకఫలాలు నిష్ఫలమవుతాయి.

Word by Word

• ruṣṭā: angry
• ruṣṭā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ruṣṭa (कृदन्त; √ruṣ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) विशेषण

• kliṣṭā: afflicted
• kliṣṭā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kliṣṭa (कृदन्त; √kliś)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त विशेषण

• durbalā: weak
• durbalā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दुर्बल इति उपसर्ग-युक्त विशेषण

• vyādhitā: diseased
• vyādhitā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyādhita (कृदन्त; √vyādh)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• dātavyā: to be given (should be given)
• dātavyā: Vidhi/Pratiṣedha (विधि/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dātavya (कृदन्त; √dā)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/obligatory) — ‘to be given’ (here: not to be given)

• yā: which (she/that cow)
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• mūlyaiḥ: with prices/payment
• mūlyaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūlya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• adattaiḥ: unpaid (not given)
• adattaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + datta (कृदन्त; √dā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग ‘a-’ (not given/ unpaid)

• leśaḥ: a small portion/trace
• leśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: leśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viprebhyaḥ: to the Brahmins
• viprebhyaḥ: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), बहुवचन

• yayā: by which (cow)
• yayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• jāyate: arises/is produced
• jāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

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

• tasyāḥ: of that (cow)
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• dātuḥ: of the giver
• dātuḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• aphalāḥ: fruitless
• aphalāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्-युक्त विशेषण (fruitless)

• sarvalokāḥ: all worlds (all realms)
• sarvalokāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वे लोकाः इति कर्मधारय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheśvarī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor is shown weighing coins to pay the cow’s price before gifting; the cow is calm and strong; a brāhmaṇa smiles in acceptance—contrasted with a faint shadow-panel of a distressed cow and a displeased recipient to show ‘leśa’ grievance leading to aphala.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must be harmless, rightful, and respectful; causing distress or grievance cancels the intended spiritual gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dāna is portrayed as powerful but also ethically demanding.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not donate cows that are sick/weak/distressed, and do not donate cattle not rightfully paid for; ensure the recipients are not burdened or offended.