Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

कृष्णवस्त्रयुगाच्छन्नां सप्तधान्यसमन्विताम् । कुर्यात्सद्रोणशिखर आसीनां ताम्रभाजने

Transliteration

kṛṣṇavastrayugācchannāṃ saptadhānyasamanvitām | kuryātsadroṇaśikhara āsīnāṃ tāmrabhājane

Translation

Mit einem Paar schwarzer Gewänder bedeckt und von den sieben Getreiden begleitet, soll man sie so anordnen, dass ein Häufchen als «Gipfel» gilt, und sie auf ein Kupfergefäß setzen.

Word by Word

• कृष्णवस्त्रयुगात्: from/with a pair of black garments
• कृष्णवस्त्रयुगात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-वस्त्र-युग (प्रातिपदिक; कृष्ण + वस्त्र + युग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला) ‘black-cloth pair’

• आच्छन्नाम्: covered
• आच्छन्नाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-छद् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → आच्छन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (covered)

• सप्तधान्यसमन्विताम्: endowed with seven kinds of grain
• सप्तधान्यसमन्विताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-धान्य-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; सप्त + धान्य + समन्वित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (द्विगु + तत्पुरुष) ‘endowed with seven grains’

• कुर्यात्: should make
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• स-द्रोण-शिखरः: having a droṇa-measure peak/top
• स-द्रोण-शिखरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रोण-शिखर (प्रातिपदिक; द्रोण + शिखर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; उपपद-तत्पुरुष; ‘having a peak/measure of one droṇa’ (स- = सह)

• आसीनाम्: sitting
• आसीनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस् (धातु) + शानच् → आसीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (sitting)

• ताम्रभाजने: in a copper vessel
• ताम्रभाजने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र-भाजन (प्रातिपदिक; ताम्र + भाजन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः (copper vessel)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revākhaṇḍa dialogue context; a Purāṇic narrator instructing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-pradeśa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ritual cow is draped with two black garments; seven grains are displayed in small heaps; a ‘peak-like’ mound/measure is set; the cow is seated upon a copper vessel in a carefully arranged altar space.

Characters & Entities

• sapta-dhānya (seven grains)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual charity is to be done with care and completeness; details symbolize fullness (anna, vastra) and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rite is taught within Revākhaṇḍa’s Revā-mahātmya milieu, where acts of dāna are said to gain exceptional merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Covering the cow with black cloth, providing seven grains, and placing/arranging her with specified measures and a copper vessel.