Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

कृष्णवस्त्रयुगाच्छन्नां सप्तधान्यसमन्विताम् । कुर्यात्सद्रोणशिखर आसीनां ताम्रभाजने

Transliteration

kṛṣṇavastrayugācchannāṃ saptadhānyasamanvitām | kuryātsadroṇaśikhara āsīnāṃ tāmrabhājane

Translation

Recouverte d’une paire de vêtements noirs et accompagnée des sept grains, qu’on la dispose avec un monticule pour « sommet », assise sur un vase de cuivre.

Word by Word

• कृष्णवस्त्रयुगात्: from/with a pair of black garments
• कृष्णवस्त्रयुगात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-वस्त्र-युग (प्रातिपदिक; कृष्ण + वस्त्र + युग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला) ‘black-cloth pair’

• आच्छन्नाम्: covered
• आच्छन्नाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-छद् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → आच्छन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (covered)

• सप्तधान्यसमन्विताम्: endowed with seven kinds of grain
• सप्तधान्यसमन्विताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-धान्य-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; सप्त + धान्य + समन्वित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (द्विगु + तत्पुरुष) ‘endowed with seven grains’

• कुर्यात्: should make
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• स-द्रोण-शिखरः: having a droṇa-measure peak/top
• स-द्रोण-शिखरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रोण-शिखर (प्रातिपदिक; द्रोण + शिखर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; उपपद-तत्पुरुष; ‘having a peak/measure of one droṇa’ (स- = सह)

• आसीनाम्: sitting
• आसीनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस् (धातु) + शानच् → आसीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (sitting)

• ताम्रभाजने: in a copper vessel
• ताम्रभाजने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र-भाजन (प्रातिपदिक; ताम्र + भाजन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः (copper vessel)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revākhaṇḍa dialogue context; a Purāṇic narrator instructing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-pradeśa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ritual cow is draped with two black garments; seven grains are displayed in small heaps; a ‘peak-like’ mound/measure is set; the cow is seated upon a copper vessel in a carefully arranged altar space.

Characters & Entities

• sapta-dhānya (seven grains)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual charity is to be done with care and completeness; details symbolize fullness (anna, vastra) and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rite is taught within Revākhaṇḍa’s Revā-mahātmya milieu, where acts of dāna are said to gain exceptional merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Covering the cow with black cloth, providing seven grains, and placing/arranging her with specified measures and a copper vessel.