Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

आत्माहारप्रमाणेन प्रत्यहं गोषु दीयते । गवाह्निकं तासु दत्त्वा नरो याति सुरालयम्

Transliteration

ātmāhārapramāṇena pratyahaṃ goṣu dīyate | gavāhnikaṃ tāsu dattvā naro yāti surālayam

Translation

หากผู้ใดให้แก่โคทุกวันในปริมาณเท่ากับอาหารของตน แล้วถวายส่วนประจำวันนั้นแก่โคเหล่านั้น บุคคลย่อมไปสู่สุราลัย คือที่อยู่แห่งเหล่าเทพ

Word by Word

• आत्माहारप्रमाणेन: by the measure of one’s own food-intake
• आत्माहारप्रमाणेन: करण (Instrument/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्माहारप्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक; आत्माहार + प्रमाण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (आत्माहारस्य प्रमाणम्)

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: कालाधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्यहम् (अव्यय; प्रति + अहन्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• गोषु: among/for the cows
• गोषु: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• गवाह्निकम्: the daily (offering/service) for cows
• गवाह्निकम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गवाह्निक (प्रातिपदिक; गो + आह्निक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (गवाम् आह्निकम्)

• तासु: among them (the cows)
• तासु: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

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

• याति: goes
• याति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• सुरालयम्: to the abode of the gods (heaven)
• सुरालयम्: गति-कर्म (Goal/Object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरालय (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + आलय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सुराणाम् आलयः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim measures out grain and fodder equal to his own meal and feeds a line of cows near the sacred precinct; devas above open a radiant path to surālaya, signifying the reward of daily cow-feeding.

Characters & Entities

• Go (cows)
• Suras (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained, daily compassion—especially toward cows, symbols of dharma and sustenance—becomes a direct path to divine realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra, in its māhātmya on dāna-phala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily feeding of cows (gavāhnika), in an amount comparable to one’s own daily food.