Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गां ददर्शाहमुद्विग्नो मामेवाभिमुखीं स्थिताम् । किंकिणीजालमुक्ताभिः स्वर्णघण्टासमावृताम्

Transliteration

gāṃ dadarśāhamudvigno māmevābhimukhīṃ sthitām | kiṃkiṇījālamuktābhiḥ svarṇaghaṇṭāsamāvṛtām

Translation

In Unruhe sah ich jene Kuh, allein mir gegenüber stehend, bedeckt mit Geflechten klingender Glöckchen und Perlen und geschmückt mit goldenen Schellen.

Word by Word

• गाम्: the cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun, Nominative (1st), Singular

• उद्विग्नः: anxious, agitated
• उद्विग्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्विग्न (कृदन्त; √विज्/विग् ‘to be agitated’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अभिमुखीम्: facing (towards)
• अभिमुखीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिमुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• स्थिताम्: standing
• स्थिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• किंकिणी-जाल-मुक्ताभिः: with pearl-nets of tinkling bells
• किंकिणी-जाल-मुक्ताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंकिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + जाल (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘किंकिणीनां जालं’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + ‘मुक्ता’ (मोती) इति समास-समाहार; Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• स्वर्ण-घण्टा-समावृताम्: covered/adorned with golden bells
• स्वर्ण-घण्टा-समावृताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + घण्टा (प्रातिपदिक) + समावृत (कृदन्त; √वृ ‘to cover’ उपसर्ग सम्+आ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्वर्णघण्टाभिः समावृता’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied Purāṇic audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary, jewel-bedecked cow stands facing the narrator; strings of small bells and pearls shimmer, golden bells gleam; the narrator appears startled, hands raised or posture tense.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Divine Cow (mystic apparition)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the devotee is overwhelmed, a direct ‘darśana’ (encounter) of an auspicious sign can restore hope and redirect the mind toward protection and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of the visionary episode within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse focuses on the appearance and approach of the vision.