Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

यावद्वत्सस्य पादौ द्वौ मुखं योन्यां प्रदृश्यते । तावद्गौः पृथिवी ज्ञेया यावद्गर्भं न मुञ्चति

Transliteration

yāvadvatsasya pādau dvau mukhaṃ yonyāṃ pradṛśyate | tāvadgauḥ pṛthivī jñeyā yāvadgarbhaṃ na muñcati

Translation

Solange im Schoß die beiden Füße und das Antlitz des Kalbes sichtbar sind, soll die Kuh als die Erde selbst erkannt werden—bis sie die Frucht freigibt.

Word by Word

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध-परिमाण/काल-सीमा सूचक indeclinable: 'as long as/until')

• vatsasya: of the calf
• vatsasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• pādau: two feet
• pādau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• dvau: two
• dvau: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• mukham: the face
• mukham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• yonyām: in the womb
• yonyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• pradṛśyate: is seen/appears
• pradṛśyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• tāvat: so long
• tāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तावत्—तावद्; तावत्-परिमाण/काल-सीमा सूचक: 'so long/that long')

• gauḥ: the cow
• gauḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• pṛthivī: the Earth
• pṛthivī: Pratipādya/Predicate (सम्बन्ध/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• jñeyā: to be known (as)
• jñeyā: Pratipādya/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jñā (धातु) → jñeya (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• yāvat: until/as long as
• yāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (काल-सीमा सूचक: 'until/as long as')

• garbham: the fetus/embryo
• garbham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• muñcati: releases/lets go
• muñcati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator addressing the King (context from surrounding verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-zone

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nara-adhipa (king) / tīrtha-śravaṇa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene cowshed near a riverbank: a pregnant, gentle cow stands with a faintly ‘revealed’ calf-form suggested within; sages indicate that she embodies the Earth. The river Revā flows behind with tīrtha markers and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• gauḥ (cow)
• Pṛthivī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cow is equated with Earth, highlighting her life-sustaining sanctity and why her gift is considered supremely meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā māhātmya context frames the teaching, though the verse itself is symbolic rather than topographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it provides a theological identification (cow = Earth) to elevate the significance of go-dāna.