Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

गोलक्षं ब्राह्मणे दत्त्वा यत्फलं प्राप्नुयान्नरः । तदादिदेवे गोविन्दे दृष्टे भक्त्या फलं लभेत्

Transliteration

golakṣaṃ brāhmaṇe dattvā yatphalaṃ prāpnuyānnaraḥ | tadādideve govinde dṛṣṭe bhaktyā phalaṃ labhet

Translation

ผลบุญใดที่มนุษย์พึงได้จากการถวายโคหนึ่งแสนแก่พราหมณ์ ผลนั้นย่อมได้ด้วยการได้เห็นพระโควินทะ อาทิเทพ ด้วยศรัทธาภักดี

Word by Word

• गोलक्षम्: a lakh of cows
• गोलक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (लक्षसंख्यकाः गावः)

• ब्राह्मणे: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund/Absolutive)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative) विशेषण (फलम्)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्नुयात्: would obtain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that (same)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (फलम्)

• आदिदेवे: in/with regard to the primeval god
• आदिदेवे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदिदेव (प्रातिपदिक: आदि + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गोविन्दे: Govinda
• गोविन्दे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (दृष्टे इत्यस्य)

• दृष्टे: when (he is) seen
• दृष्टे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दृश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Govinda-darśana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of pilgrims approaches Govinda for darśana; in a symbolic overlay, a vast herd of cows offered in charity appears as a luminous metaphor dissolving into the Lord’s aura, showing equivalence of fruits.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda
• Ādinārāyaṇa
• Brāhmaṇa
• Go-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional darśana of Govinda is exalted as equivalent to immense charitable giving, emphasizing bhakti over mere magnitude of donation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, in the context of Ādinārāyaṇa/Govinda’s sacred presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional beholding (darśana) of Govinda; the verse also references the benchmark merit of go-dāna to a brāhmaṇa.