Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

तारयते तया धेन्वा सा सरिज्जलवाहिनी । सर्वान्कामानवाप्नोति ये दिव्या ये च मानुषाः

Transliteration

tārayate tayā dhenvā sā sarijjalavāhinī | sarvānkāmānavāpnoti ye divyā ye ca mānuṣāḥ

Translation

Durch jene Kuh wird sie (der Fluss) zu einem strömenden Wasserlauf, der hinüberträgt. Man erlangt alle Wünsche, die himmlischen wie auch die menschlichen.

Word by Word

• तारयते: causes to cross / delivers
• तारयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तॄ (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् — Present indicative, 3rd person singular, Ātmanepada; causative sense “causes to cross/saves”

• तया: by her/with that
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• धेन्वा: by the cow
• धेन्वा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (वैकल्पिक रूप: धेन्वा)

• सा: she/that (river)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• सरित्: river
• सरित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular (apposition)

• जलवाहिनी: water-carrying
• जलवाहिनी: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular; तत्पुरुष (जलं वहति)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• कामान्: desires
• कामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — Present indicative, 3rd person singular

• ये: which
• ये: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural (relative pronoun)

• दिव्याः: divine
• दिव्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• ये: which
• ये: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural (repeated relative)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — Conjunction

• मानुषाः: human
• मानुषाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

Speaker

Narratorial/ritual-instruction voice

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī (crossing) motif applied through dhenu-dāna; Revā context as supportive tīrtha frame

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant cow stands at the river’s edge; the river becomes a clear, flowing path like a luminous stream carrying a soul across; above, symbols of divine and human boons appear (lotus, kalasha, celestial city).

Characters & Entities

• Dhenu (cow)
• Vaitaraṇī (implied river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna aligned with dharma is portrayed as both transcendent aid (crossing) and immanent blessing (fulfillment of aims).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Revā Khaṇḍa sacred context applies; the verse highlights the Vaitaraṇī-crossing motif rather than a terrestrial pilgrimage place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It states the promised result of the Vaitaraṇī-dhenu dāna: the ‘river’ becomes crossable and blessings accrue.