Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

धेनवश्च प्रयच्छंति वांछितं स्वादु सत्पयः । सर्वेष्वपि हि कालेषु भूरि सर्प्पिःप्रदं नृणाम्

Transliteration

dhenavaśca prayacchaṃti vāṃchitaṃ svādu satpayaḥ | sarveṣvapi hi kāleṣu bhūri sarppiḥpradaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

Bò cái ban cho loài người thứ sữa ngọt lành, tinh sạch và bổ dưỡng đúng như điều mong ước; quả thật, trong mọi thời, chúng lại ban dồi dào bơ tinh khiết (ghee) cho nhân gian.

Word by Word

• dhenavaḥ: cows
• dhenavaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhenu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• prayacchanti: they give; they bestow
• prayacchanti: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु; प्र-उपसर्ग, यच्छ-आदेश)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• vāñchitam: desired; wished-for
• vāñchitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāñchita (कृदन्त; vāñch धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of satpayaḥ / payaḥ implied)

• svādu: sweet
• svādu: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svādu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of payaḥ)

• sat-payaḥ: excellent milk
• sat-payaḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + payas (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + पयस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'उत्तमं पयः'

• sarveṣu: in all
• sarveṣu: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of kāleṣu)

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = 'also/even' (particle)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/for)

• kāleṣu: in times; at all times
• kāleṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• bhūri: abundantly
• bhūri: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūri (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (much/abundantly)

• sarpiḥ-pradam: giving ghee; ghee-bestowing
• sarpiḥ-pradam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarpiḥ + prada (प्रातिपदिक; सर्पिस् + प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of satpayaḥ / gift)

• nṛṇām: for men; of humans
• nṛṇām: Sampradāna (Beneficiary/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cows in a sacred pasture near a tīrtha settlement, calmly offering overflowing milk; vessels of ghee gleam; householders and ascetics receive with gratitude; lamps and yajña imagery suggest ritual use of ghee.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Cows (Dhenavaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a dhārmic age, nature becomes generous; prosperity follows righteousness and harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; it describes the abundance characteristic of the ideal yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse implicitly supports reverence for cows (go-dharma) as part of a dhārmic order.