Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तस्माच्चैव प्रकर्तव्यं गोदानं गोमतीतटे । एवं कृत्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठाः कृतकृत्यो भवेन्नरः

Transliteration

tasmāccaiva prakartavyaṃ godānaṃ gomatītaṭe | evaṃ kṛtvā dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ kṛtakṛtyo bhavennaraḥ

Translation

Vì vậy, nhất định phải thực hành bố thí bò nơi bờ sông Gomatī. Làm được như thế, hỡi bậc tối thượng trong hàng nhị sinh, người ấy trở thành kẻ đã viên mãn mọi bổn phận.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• एव: indeed; certainly
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: should be done; is to be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तव्यताप्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (ought to be done)

• गो-दानम्: cow-donation
• गो-दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण (to be done)

• गोमती-तटे: on the bank of the Gomati
• गोमती-तटे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोमत्याः तटः)

• एवम्: thus; in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः)

• कृत-कृत्यः: one who has fulfilled his duty; accomplished
• कृत-कृत्यः: Predicative (Vidheyavisheshana/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः—‘कृतं कृत्यं येन’ इति अर्थे (one whose duty is done)

• भवेत्: would become; should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī-tīra (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ (addressed audience: ‘O best of twice-born’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the Gomatī ghāṭa, a decorated cow with garlands is ceremonially handed over; the donor pours water in saṅkalpa, brāhmaṇas chant blessings, and the river glints behind—signifying completion of vows.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī (river)
• Brāhmaṇa (addressed as dvijaśreṣṭha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a great tīrtha, a major act of charity like godāna is presented as a culminating dharmic accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bank of the Gomatī at Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform godāna (donation of a cow) specifically at the Gomatī riverbank.