Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

श्वेतया वर्धते वंशो रक्ता सौभाग्यवर्धिनी । शबला पीतवर्णा च दुःखघ्न्यौ संप्रकीर्तिते

Transliteration

śvetayā vardhate vaṃśo raktā saubhāgyavardhinī | śabalā pītavarṇā ca duḥkhaghnyau saṃprakīrtite

Translation

En offrant une vache blanche, la lignée prospère ; la rouge accroît la bonne fortune. La vache tachetée et celle de couleur jaune sont toutes deux proclamées destructrices de la peine.

Word by Word

• śvetayā: by/with the white (one)
• śvetayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvetā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• vardhate: increases/grows
• vardhate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛdh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present Indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• vaṃśaḥ: lineage/family
• vaṃśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• raktā: red
• raktā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raktā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• saubhāgya-vardhinī: increasing good fortune
• saubhāgya-vardhinī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saubhāgya (प्रातिपदिक) + vardhinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (saubhāgyasya vardhinī)

• śabalā: variegated/spotted
• śabalā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śabalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• pīta-varṇā: yellow-colored
• pīta-varṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīta (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; कर्मधारय (pītaḥ varṇaḥ yasyāḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• duḥkha-ghnyau: (the two) destroyers of sorrow
• duḥkha-ghnyau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + ghnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Dual; तत्पुरुष (duḥkhasya ghnī = destroyer of sorrow)

• saṃprakīrtite: are proclaimed/are declared
• saṃprakīrtite: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ + pra + kīrt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present Indicative, 3rd person, Dual, Ātmanepada

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, phala classification of dāna)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a riverside tīrtha offers a decorated cow to a brāhmaṇa; the cow’s coat colors are shown distinctly (white, red, mottled, yellow) with ritual vessels, darbha grass, and a flowing sacred river in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity bears specific fruits when performed with faith; dāna is presented as a dharmic means to uplift family, fortune, and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha context of the Revā Khaṇḍa, where such dāna is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhenu-dāna with attention to the type/color of cow, each associated with a stated spiritual-worldly fruit.