Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

आशंसमानो राजानं धर्मज्ञमिति कोविदम् । स च विप्रो विचिन्वानः सर्वतो गां सुदुःखितः

Transliteration

āśaṃsamāno rājānaṃ dharmajñamiti kovidam | sa ca vipro vicinvānaḥ sarvato gāṃ suduḥkhitaḥ

Translation

ด้วยหวังพึ่งพระราชาผู้ทรงรู้ธรรมและทรงปรีชา พราหมณ์นั้นเศร้าโศกยิ่งนัก จึงเที่ยวค้นหาโคไปทั่วทุกทิศ

Word by Word

• आशंसमानः: praising, commending
• आशंसमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शानच्-प्रत्ययः/आत्मनेपदी), प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग (कर्तरि)

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• धर्मज्ञम्: knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मं जानाति इति)

• इति: thus
• इति: Connector (वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (quotative particle)

• कोविदम्: skilled, wise
• कोविदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोविद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

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

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

• विप्रः: Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• विचिन्वानः: searching
• विचिन्वानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चि (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शानच्-प्रत्ययः/आत्मनेपदी), प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग (कर्तरि)

• सर्वतः: everywhere
• सर्वतः: Modifier (अव्यय-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb)

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

• सुदुःखितः: very distressed
• सुदुःखितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (विप्रस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed brāhmaṇa searches in streets and outskirts, scanning in all directions for a missing cow, while recalling the king’s dharma.

Characters & Entities

• King (rājā)
• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• Cow (gau)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded when the righteous king becomes the refuge for the afflicted—especially in matters involving brāhmaṇas and the protection of cows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode unfolds in the Dvārakā Māhātmya of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, situating the narrative within the sacred geography of Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it frames a dharmic appeal to royal justice connected with go-rakṣā (protection of cows).