Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 103
कन्याया गमनं चैव सुवर्णस्तेयमेव च । सुरापानं तथा चान्यत्तिलधेनुः पुनाति हि
kanyāyā gamanaṃ caiva suvarṇasteyameva ca | surāpānaṃ tathā cānyattiladhenuḥ punāti hi
Consorting with a maiden, stealing gold, drinking liquor, and other such sins as well—indeed, the tila-dhenu, the ritual gift of a sesame “cow,” is said to purify them.
Narratorial voice within Revā Khaṇḍa (exact speaker not in snippet)
Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha
Type: kshetra
Scene: A ritual setup on the Revā bank: a small ‘cow’ form fashioned from black sesame (tila) on a leaf/plate, adorned with tiny symbolic horns and cloth; the donor offers water-libation and then hands it to a priest/recipient, with the river shining behind.
FAQs
Sincere dāna performed as prescribed can function as prāyaścitta, restoring one toward dharma even after serious wrongdoing.
The Revā/Narmadā sacred region is the overarching tīrtha framework of the Revā Khaṇḍa passage.
Tila-dhenu dāna: the formal donation of a ‘cow’ fashioned/represented through sesame (tila) as a purificatory gift.
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