Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

स्वर्णशृंगी रौप्यखुरी वस्त्रद्वयसमावृता । कांस्योपदोहना ताम्रपृष्ठी बहुगुणान्विता

Transliteration

svarṇaśṛṃgī raupyakhurī vastradvayasamāvṛtā | kāṃsyopadohanā tāmrapṛṣṭhī bahuguṇānvitā

Translation

With horns adorned in gold, hooves in silver, covered with two cloths; with a bronze milking vessel and a back adorned with copper—endowed with many fine qualities.

Word by Word

• स्वर्णशृंगी: gold-horned
• स्वर्णशृंगी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + शृङ्गिन्/शृङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय: ‘स्वर्णं शृङ्गे यस्याः’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• रौप्यखुरी: silver-hoofed
• रौप्यखुरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौप्य (प्रातिपदिक) + खुरिन्/खुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय: ‘रौप्याः खुराः यस्याः’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वस्त्रद्वयसमावृता: covered with a pair of cloths
• वस्त्रद्वयसमावृता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक) + समावृत (कृदन्त; √वृ धातु, सम्-आ-उपसर्ग)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वस्त्रद्वयेन समावृता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण (past passive participle sense)

• कांस्योपदोहना: having a bronze milking-pail
• कांस्योपदोहना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कांस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उपदोहना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय: ‘कांस्यस्य उपदोहना’/‘कांस्य-उपदोहना’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ताम्रपृष्ठी: copper-backed
• ताम्रपृष्ठी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठिन्/पृष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय: ‘ताम्रं पृष्ठं यस्याः’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• बहुगुणान्विता: endowed with many qualities
• बहुगुणान्विता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ/अन्वि धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बहुभिः गुणैः अन्विता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context—Brahmā addressing Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A richly adorned cow prepared for donation: golden horn-caps, silver hoof-ornaments, two fine cloth coverings, bronze milking vessel nearby, copper-toned back-ornamentation; priests and devotees in Ayodhyā setting.

Characters & Entities

• Gauḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic charity emphasizes reverence and completeness—offering with honor, beauty, and proper preparation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, where such properly prepared gifts are praised as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescribed adornments and accompanying items for go-dāna (gold/silver adornment, cloth coverings, and a proper milking vessel).