Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामेव दानानां कपिलादानमुत्तमम् । ब्राह्मणान्वेषितं पूर्वमृषिदेवसमागमे

Transliteration

sarveṣāmeva dānānāṃ kapilādānamuttamam | brāhmaṇānveṣitaṃ pūrvamṛṣidevasamāgame

Translation

Unter allen Gaben (dāna) ist die kapilā-dāna—die Gabe einer fahlfarbenen Kuh—die höchste. Einst wurde sie von den Brāhmaṇas in einer Versammlung von ṛṣis und Devas gesucht und bekräftigt.

Word by Word

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; ‘of all’

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis particle)

• dānānām: of gifts/charities
• dānānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• kapilā-dānam: the gift of a Kapilā cow
• kapilā-dānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (kapilāyāḥ dānam / kapilā-dānam); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• uttamam: the best
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• veṣitam: sought, desired
• veṣitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√iṣ (इष् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘sought/desired’ (context: ‘sought by Brahmins’)

• pūrvam: formerly, earlier
• pūrvam: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• ṛṣi-deva-samāgame: in the assembly/meeting of sages and gods
• ṛṣi-deva-samāgame: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + samāgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (ṛṣayaḥ ca devāḥ) + तत्पुरुष (samāgamaḥ); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: continuing narration to brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilātīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (primary), with brāhmaṇas as addressed audience in the surrounding passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial assembly: sages and devas convene, affirming the supremacy of kapilā-dāna; in the foreground a tawny cow stands adorned, symbolizing the gift.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilādāna
• Brāhmaṇas
• Ṛṣis
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma ranks certain gifts as especially potent; kapilā-dāna is praised as preeminent when performed with right intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Kapilātīrtha context, though it focuses chiefly on the excellence of kapilā-dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is the performance of kapilā-dāna, upheld as the foremost among donations.