Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

विधिवद्गां ददौ तां च स नृपः सोमशर्मणे । गृहीत्वा राजभवनान्निर्ययौ गां द्विजर्षभः

Transliteration

vidhivadgāṃ dadau tāṃ ca sa nṛpaḥ somaśarmaṇe | gṛhītvā rājabhavanānniryayau gāṃ dvijarṣabhaḥ

Translation

กษัตริย์นั้นได้ถวายโคตัวนั้นแก่โสมศรมันตามพิธีอันถูกต้อง ครั้นรับโคแล้ว พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐก็ออกจากพระราชวัง

Word by Word

• विधिवत्: duly, according to rule
• विधिवत्: Modifier (अव्यय-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb)

• गाम्: cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• ताम्: that (cow)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• नृपः: king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• सोमशर्मणे: to Somaśarman
• सोमशर्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचनम्; नामपदम्

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• राजभवनात्: from the royal palace
• राजभवनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज + भवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञः भवनम्)

• निर्ययौ: went out
• निर्ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• गाम्: the cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• द्विजर्षभः: best of Brahmins
• द्विजर्षभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् ऋषभः)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual attribution within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a royal palace courtyard, a king ceremonially gifts a cow to Somaśarman; the brāhmaṇa leads the cow out through palace gates.

Characters & Entities

• Somaśarman
• nṛpa (king)
• dvijarṣabha (excellent brāhmaṇa)
• dhenu (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna must be completed properly and lawfully; righteous giving repairs imbalance and strengthens dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā Māhātmya provides the sacred frame, portraying dharmic giving as integral to the holiness associated with Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna performed vidhivat (with correct procedure) to a named brāhmaṇa (Somaśarman).