Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

सवत्सा तरुणी शुभ्रा बहुक्षीरा सवस्त्रका । कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दश्यामष्टम्यां वा प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

savatsā taruṇī śubhrā bahukṣīrā savastrakā | kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāmaṣṭamyāṃ vā pradāpayet

Translation

Man spende eine junge, weiße Kuh samt Kalb, milchreich und mit einem Gewand versehen; und man gebe sie am vierzehnten Tag der dunklen Monatshälfte oder am achten.

Word by Word

• सवत्सा: with a calf
• सवत्सा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; उपपदसमासः (वत्सेन सह)

• तरुणी: young
• तरुणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• शुभ्रा: white/bright
• शुभ्रा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• बहुक्षीरा: having much milk
• बहुक्षीरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (बहु क्षीरं यस्याः सा)

• सवस्त्रका: together with cloth/garment
• सवस्त्रका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वस्त्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; उपपदसमासः (वस्त्रेण सह)

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (कृष्णः पक्षः)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth lunar day
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• प्रदापयेत्: should cause (it) to be given / should have (it) donated
• प्रदापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A white young cow with calf, adorned, stands beside folded cloth; a donor prepares to gift on a dark-fortnight sacred day, with a brāhmaṇa recipient and shrine setting.

Characters & Entities

• Gopāreśvara (context)
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa (dark fortnight)
• Caturdaśī
• Aṣṭamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna becomes especially potent when done with right intention and right timing, aligning personal piety with cosmic order (tithi-dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopāreśvara Tīrtha (by continuity of the māhātmya), where this go-dāna is recommended.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate a young white milch cow with calf, along with cloth, preferably on Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa Caturdaśī or Aṣṭamī.