Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

नालंकृता सवत्सा गौः पात्राय प्रतिपादिता । इह पापापहंत्र्याशु सप्तजन्मसुखावहा

Transliteration

nālaṃkṛtā savatsā gauḥ pātrāya pratipāditā | iha pāpāpahaṃtryāśu saptajanmasukhāvahā

Translation

Ich habe einem würdigen Empfänger keine geschmückte Kuh samt Kalb dargebracht—eine Gabe, die hier die Sünden rasch vernichtet und Glück für sieben Geburten bringt.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• अलंकृता: adorned
• अलंकृता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलंकृत (कृदन्त; अलं√कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• सवत्सा: with a calf
• सवत्सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-वत्स (प्रातिपदिक; स + वत्स)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying गौः)

• गौः: a cow
• गौः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• पात्राय: to a worthy recipient
• पात्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Dative singular)

• प्रतिपादिता: presented (as a gift)
• प्रतिपादिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिपादित (कृदन्त; प्रति√पद्/√पाद् (धातु) + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle: ‘presented/given’)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• पापापहन्त्री: remover of sins
• पापापहन्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-अपहन्त्री (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + अपहन्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying गौः/दानम् implied)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक/रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• सप्तजन्मसुखावहा: bringing happiness for seven births
• सप्तजन्मसुखावहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-जन्म-सुख-आवहा (प्रातिपदिक; सप्त + जन्म + सुख + आवहा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying गौः/दानम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An adorned cow with a calf—garlanded, horn-caps, cloth on back—stands beside a brāhmaṇa recipient; the donor, regretful, is shown empty-handed, with Kāśī ghāṭs behind and a soft aura around the cow symbolizing purity.

Characters & Entities

• Gauḥ (cow)
• Vatsa (calf)
• Pātra (worthy recipient)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Go-dāna to a qualified recipient is elevated as a high-merit charity with swift purificatory power and long-term karmic benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, while the verse emphasizes dāna’s merit rather than a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna—presenting an adorned cow together with her calf to a pātra (worthy recipient).