Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

रुक्मशृंगीं रौप्यखुरीं मुक्तालांगूलभूषिताम् । सवत्सां ब्राह्मणे दत्त्वा होमार्थं चाहिताग्नये

Transliteration

rukmaśṛṃgīṃ raupyakhurīṃ muktālāṃgūlabhūṣitām | savatsāṃ brāhmaṇe dattvā homārthaṃ cāhitāgnaye

Translation

Indem man einem Brāhmaṇa — einem Āhitāgni, der die heiligen Feuer unterhält — eine Kuh samt Kalb schenkt, geschmückt mit goldenen Hörnern, silbernen Hufen und einem mit Perlen gezierten Schweif, zum Zwecke des Homa (Feueropfers), (erlangt man großes Verdienst).

Word by Word

• रुक्मशृङ्गीम्: having golden horns
• रुक्मशृङ्गीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शृङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (रुक्मं शृङ्गं यस्याः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• रौप्यखुरीम्: having silver hooves
• रौप्यखुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौप्य (प्रातिपदिक) + खुरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (रौप्याः खुराः यस्याः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मुक्तालाङ्गूलभूषिताम्: adorned with pearls on the tail
• मुक्तालाङ्गूलभूषिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + लाङ्गूल (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (मुक्ताभिः लाङ्गूलं भूषितम्/भूषिता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• सवत्साम्: together with her calf
• सवत्साम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (वत्सेन सह), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ब्राह्मणे: to a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• होमार्थम्: for the purpose of a homa
• होमार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/प्रयोजनार्थ (होमस्य अर्थः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आहिताग्नये: to one who has established the sacred fires (āhitāgni)
• आहिताग्नये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (आहितोऽग्निः यस्य सः), पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

Speaker

Pitṛs (the prescriptive tone continues; verse gives a specific dāna specification)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (traditionally a sage/king figure in māhātmya dialogues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-donor respectfully offers a richly adorned cow with calf to an āhitāgni brāhmaṇa beside a consecrated fire-altar; ritual vessels, darbha, and ladles indicate homa purpose; Dvārakā’s sacred ambience in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Āhitāgni
• Homa
• Go-dāna (cow gift)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritually aligned charity—supporting Vedic fire-rites through gifts to qualified brāhmaṇas—is praised as a high form of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Dvārakā Māhātmya section of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, linking dāna to the sanctity of Dvārakā’s devotional environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna: gifting a cow with calf, specifically to an āhitāgni brāhmaṇa, designated for homa (fire-offering).