Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

शांति पुष्टिशकृन्मूत्रा वर्णपादप्रतिष्ठिता । उपजीव्यमाना जगतां पदक्रमजटाघनैः

Transliteration

śāṃti puṣṭiśakṛnmūtrā varṇapādapratiṣṭhitā | upajīvyamānā jagatāṃ padakramajaṭāghanaiḥ

Translation

Ihr Dung und ihr Urin sind Frieden und Nahrung; sie ist auf den Füßen der Varṇas gegründet. Alle Welten leben durch sie—durch die Schritte ihrer Hufe und durch die dichten, verfilzten Büschel (ihres Haars).

Word by Word

• शान्ति: peace
• शान्ति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुष्टि-शकृत्-मूत्रा: having nourishment, dung, and urine (as aspects)
• पुष्टि-शकृत्-मूत्रा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + शकृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (पुष्टि-शकृत्-मूत्र) बहुपद; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• वर्ण-पाद-प्रतिष्ठिता: established in the syllables and metrical feet
• वर्ण-पाद-प्रतिष्ठिता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रति-स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; प्रतिष्ठित (क्त-प्रत्यय) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• उपजीव्यमाना: being depended upon
• उपजीव्यमाना: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-जीव् (धातु) → उपजीव्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय (present passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (धेनोः विशेषणम्)

• जगताम्: of the worlds/of beings
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• पद-क्रम-जटा-घनैः: by the pada-, krama-, jaṭā-, and ghana- (Vedic recitation methods)
• पद-क्रम-जटा-घनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + जटा (प्रातिपदिक) + घन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (पद-क्रम-जटा-घन) बहुपद; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Go-āśraya (conceptual refuge)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pastoral-sacred scene: the cow stands firm, her hooves imprinting auspicious marks; from her presence emanate waves of peace and fertility; four supportive ‘pillars/feet’ subtly symbolize varṇas; the world thrives around her.

Characters & Entities

• Varṇas (social orders)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma sustains society and nature together; the cow is portrayed as a vessel of welfare, purity, and social stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is ethical-symbolic (go-mahātmya) rather than a named pilgrimage site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied use of gomaya and gomūtra in purificatory rites and the broader duty of go-sevā (care of cows).