Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

मामुद्धर महाभाग कृपां कुरु तपोनिधे । गृहाण गां मया दत्तां दयां कृत्वा ममोपरि

Transliteration

māmuddhara mahābhāga kṛpāṃ kuru taponidhe | gṛhāṇa gāṃ mayā dattāṃ dayāṃ kṛtvā mamopari

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาบุรุษผู้ประเสริฐ โปรดทรงยกข้าพเจ้าขึ้นด้วยพระกรุณาเถิด; ข้าแต่ขุมทรัพย์แห่งตบะ โปรดเมตตาเถิด ขอทรงรับโคที่ข้าพเจ้าถวายนี้ด้วยความกรุณาต่อข้าพเจ้า

Word by Word

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• उद्धर: lift up, rescue
• उद्धर: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाभाग: O noble one / O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘महान् भागः यस्य’); पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• कृपाम्: compassion, mercy
• कृपाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुरु: do, show
• कुरु: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तपोनिधे: O treasure of austerity
• तपोनिधे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘तपसां निधिः’); पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन, एकवचन

• गृहाण: accept, take
• गृहाण: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• दत्ताम्: given
• दत्ताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying gām)

• दयाम्: kindness, mercy
• दयाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done, showing
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• उपरि: upon, towards
• उपरि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश)
• Form: अव्यय; उपरि-शब्दः (postposition/adverb) ‘upon/over’

Speaker

Nṛga (quoted within Prahlāda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, hands folded, pleads before an austere brāhmaṇa-sage, offering a cow as a gift; the setting evokes Dvārakā’s sacred precincts with temple spires and sea-breeze.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛga
• Jaimini

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One seeks spiritual elevation through humility and the blessings of the virtuous; charity is offered as an act of reverence, not coercion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Dvārakā Māhātmya’s dharma narrative, thematically tied to Kṛṣṇa’s sacred region within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna is explicitly mentioned, along with the devotional request for acceptance as a means of gaining merit.