Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

इति मंत्रं समुच्चार्य धेनूर्वाधेनु मेव वा । यो दद्याद्द्विजवर्याय स सर्वेभ्यो विशिष्यते

Transliteration

iti maṃtraṃ samuccārya dhenūrvādhenu meva vā | yo dadyāddvijavaryāya sa sarvebhyo viśiṣyate

Translation

Tụng niệm thần chú này, ai đem dâng bò sữa—hoặc cả bò không cho sữa—cho vị brāhmaṇa ưu tú, người ấy trở nên vượt trội hơn tất cả.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Prayojaka (Marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समुच्चार्य: having recited
• समुच्चार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘समुच्चार्य’ = having recited/uttered

• धेनुः: a milch-cow
• धेनुः: Karma (Object intended/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• अधेनु: a barren cow (non-milch cow)
• अधेनु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (दद्याद् इति सह)

• मेव: not indeed / certainly not
• मेव: Nishedha (Prohibition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय; ‘मा’ निषेध (prohibitive/negative particle) + ‘एव’ अवधारण (emphasis)

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्प (or)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• द्विजवर्याय: to an excellent Brahmin
• द्विजवर्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; द्विजस्य वर्यः इति (श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणः)

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

• सर्वेभ्यः: than all (others)
• सर्वेभ्यः: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन (तुलनार्थे)

• विशिष्यते: is distinguished/excels
• विशिष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience/ṛṣi audience in Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor, after reciting a mantra, respectfully offers a decorated cow to a venerable brāhmaṇa; witnesses in Kāśī look on as the act radiates merit and distinction.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (Dvija)
• Cow (Dhenū/Adhenū)
• Mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity sanctified by mantra—especially gau-dāna to a worthy brāhmaṇa—is praised as a supreme purifier and merit-maker.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is framed within Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma-teaching atmosphere, where gifts and rites gain heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the stated mantra and then perform gau-dāna (gift of a cow), preferably to a dvija-varya (excellent brāhmaṇa).