Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

गावः सुवर्णं रजतं रत्नानि च सरस्वती । तिलाः कन्या गजोश्वश्च शय्या वस्त्रं तथा मही

Transliteration

gāvaḥ suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ ratnāni ca sarasvatī | tilāḥ kanyā gajośvaśca śayyā vastraṃ tathā mahī

Translation

گائیں، سونا، چاندی، جواہرات، سرسوتی کا دان (علم کا عطیہ)، تل، کنیا دان، ہاتھی اور گھوڑے، بستر، کپڑا اور زمین—یہ سب عظیم دانوں میں شمار ہوتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• रजतम्: silver
• रजतम्: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• रत्नानि: gems
• रत्नानि: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (goddess/learning)
• सरस्वती: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कन्या: a maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गजः: elephant
• गजः: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अश्वः: horse
• अश्वः: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• शय्या: bed
• शय्या: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वस्त्रम्: cloth/garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• मही: land/earth
• मही: Karta (Item-list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa reporting a teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī) addressed as ‘mahādevi’ in the immediate context of the dāna teaching

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrimage pavilion at Prabhāsa: donors present cows adorned with garlands, heaps of gold/silver and gems, sesame in vessels, a veiled bride with elders (kanyā-dāna), elephants and horses with caparisons, a bed with linens, folded cloth, and a deed-symbol for land; priests recite blessings near a coastal shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma praises specific high-value gifts—material and educational—that sustain society and sacred life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

These mahādānas are taught within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context, integrating charity with pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Enumeration of major forms of dāna (mahādāna), including cows, gold, garments, and land.