Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

शृंगाग्रे सर्वतीर्थानि खुराग्रे सर्व पर्वताः । शृंगयोरंतरे यस्याः साक्षाद्गौरीमहेश्वरी

Transliteration

śṛṃgāgre sarvatīrthāni khurāgre sarva parvatāḥ | śṛṃgayoraṃtare yasyāḥ sākṣādgaurīmaheśvarī

Translation

An der Spitze der Hörner der Kuh sind alle Tīrthas; an der Spitze ihrer Hufe sind alle Berge. Zwischen ihren beiden Hörnern weilt Gaurī Maheśvarī selbst, in offenbarer Gestalt.

Word by Word

• शृङ्ग: horn
• शृङ्ग: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद (member in compound)

• अग्रे: at the tip/front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास-पूर्वपद (member in compound)

• तीर्थानि: sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• खुर: hoof
• खुर: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद (member in compound)

• अग्रे: at the tip/front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पर्वताः: mountains
• पर्वताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• शृङ्गयोः: of/between the two horns
• शृङ्गयोः: Sambandha/Adhikarana (of/between; सम्बन्ध/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Gen./Loc. 6th/7th), द्विवचन

• अन्तरे: in the middle/between
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• यस्याः: of whom/whose (cow)
• यस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly/in person
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: ‘directly/in person’)

• गौरी: Gauri (Parvati)
• गौरी: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• महेश्वरी: Maheshvari (great goddess)
• महेश्वरी: Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; गौरी-समानााधिकरण (appositional)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Go (as jaṅgama-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: a radiant cow stands facing the viewer; at her horn-tips tiny tīrtha icons appear (rivers, ghats, liṅgas), at her hoof-tips miniature mountains rise; between the horns a luminous Gaurī-Maheśvarī presence shines.

Characters & Entities

• Gauḥ (cow)
• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Tīrtha
• Parvata (mountains)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cow is depicted as a living microcosm of sacred geography and divine presence, making reverence to her a form of tīrtha-veneration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not one single site—rather, the verse claims all tīrthas are mystically present, aligning with Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s universalizing holiness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied worshipful respect (namaskāra, pradakṣiṇā, service) toward cows as carriers of divine presence.