Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

दश प्रदक्षिणा दत्त्वा सूत्रेण परिवेष्टयेत् । कपिलां तु ततो विप्रे दद्याद्विगतमत्सरः

Transliteration

daśa pradakṣiṇā dattvā sūtreṇa pariveṣṭayet | kapilāṃ tu tato vipre dadyādvigatamatsaraḥ

Translation

„Nachdem man zehn Pradakṣiṇā (Umwandlungen) vollzogen hat, soll man es dann mit der heiligen Schnur umwinden. Danach soll man, frei von Neid, einem Brāhmaṇa eine fahlrote Kapilā-Kuh spenden.“

Word by Word

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; ‘प्रदक्षिणाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (ten)

• प्रदक्षिणाः: circumambulations
• प्रदक्षिणाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचनम्

• दत्त्वा: having given / having performed (by giving)
• दत्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• सूत्रेण: with a thread
• सूत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• परिवेष्टयेत्: should wrap around / encircle
• परिवेष्टयेत्: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वेष्ट् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• कपिलाम्: a tawny cow (kapilā)
• कपिलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (contrast/emphasis particle)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal adverb/काल-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्ययम् (then/thereafter)

• विप्रे: to a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (4th/Dative), एकवचनम्

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• विगत-मत्सरः: free from envy
• विगत-मत्सरः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; कर्तृविशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (rite-location)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee circles a shrine ten times; a sacred thread is tied as a ritual token; then a tawny cow with calf and accessories is respectfully handed to a brāhmaṇa near the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Kapilā (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action must be joined with inner purity—especially freedom from envy—so that charity becomes spiritually fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha milieu of the Revā Khaṇḍa, where donations and circumambulation are prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ten pradakṣiṇās, a sūtra-based tying/encircling act, and kapilā (cow) donation to a brāhmaṇa.