Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

उत्तमां द्युतिमविच्छन्गोषु नित्यं प्रदापयेत् । आज्ञामिच्छेद्यशः कीर्तिमप्सु नित्यं प्रवेशयेत्

Transliteration

uttamāṃ dyutimavicchangoṣu nityaṃ pradāpayet | ājñāmicchedyaśaḥ kīrtimapsu nityaṃ praveśayet

Translation

欲求上妙光辉者，当恒常向牛作供养。欲求权威、名声与声誉者，当恒常将其托付于水中而奉献。

Word by Word

• uttamām: excellent, best
• uttamām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. acc. sg.)

• dyutim: splendour, radiance
• dyutim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dyuti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• avicchan: desiring, seeking
• avicchan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu√iṣ (इष् धातु) + अवि- (उपसर्ग); शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (pres. act. participle, masc. nom. sg.)

• goṣu: among/for the cows
• goṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (loc. pl.)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) (indecl. adverb)

• pradāpayet: should cause to be given / should bestow
• pradāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√dā (दा धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• ājñām: command, authority
• ājñām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• icchet: should desire
• icchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (इष् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• yaśaḥ: fame
• yaśaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.; form = yaśaḥ)

• kīrtim: renown, glory
• kīrtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• apsu: in the waters
• apsu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (loc. pl.)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) (indecl. adverb)

• praveśayet: should cause to enter / should immerse
• praveśayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√viś (विश् धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee feeds cows in a gaushala; in a parallel vignette, he offers flowers/sesame/water-libations into a sacred waterbody, hands cupped, seeking righteous fame.

Characters & Entities

• Cows (Go)
• Waters (Āpaḥ)
• Yaśas
• Kīrti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma connects offerings to specific sacred media (cows, waters) with corresponding life-fruits like splendor and reputation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where dāna and water-based ritual acts are taught as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular giving directed to cows for ‘dyuti’; and regular water-offerings/consignment for ‘ājñā, yaśas, kīrti’.