Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 186

Devanagari script

अलंकृतां सवत्सां च क्षीरिणीं तरुणीं सिताम् । रक्तां वा कृष्णवर्णां वा पाटलां कपिलां तथा

Transliteration

alaṃkṛtāṃ savatsāṃ ca kṣīriṇīṃ taruṇīṃ sitām | raktāṃ vā kṛṣṇavarṇāṃ vā pāṭalāṃ kapilāṃ tathā

Translation

Qu’on offre une vache parée, accompagnée de son veau, laitière et jeune : qu’elle soit blanche, rouge, noire, fauve, ou encore kapilā (brun doré).

Word by Word

• अलंकृताम्: adorned
• अलंकृताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलंकृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle)

• सवत्साम्: with a calf
• सवत्साम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—सह-तत्पुरुषः (वत्सेन सह)

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

• क्षीरिणीम्: milk-giving
• क्षीरिणीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तरुणीम्: young
• तरुणीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सिताम्: white
• सिताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• रक्ताम्: red
• रक्ताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• कृष्णवर्णाम्: black-colored
• कृष्णवर्णाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः; विशेषणम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• पाटलाम्: pale-reddish (rose-colored)
• पाटलाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाटला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कपिलाम्: tawny
• कपिलाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: ‘thus/also’)

Speaker

Narrator within Revākhaṇḍa (dāna-vidhi continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A decorated cow with a calf stands near the riverbank; attendants hold garlands and cloth; the donor gestures toward the brāhmaṇa recipient; multiple cows of different colors are shown as acceptable offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Go (cow)
• Vatsa (calf)
• Go-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Giving life-sustaining gifts (like a milk-yielding cow with calf) is upheld as a powerful dharmic support for rites and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Eraṇḍī-saṅgama / Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna: donate an adorned, young, milk-giving cow together with her calf; color is not a restriction.