Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22
ततो दयां समाश्रित्य त्यक्त्वा स्नेहं सुतोद्भवम् । आत्मनश्च तथा प्राणान्गां वितृष्णामथाकरोत्
tato dayāṃ samāśritya tyaktvā snehaṃ sutodbhavam | ātmanaśca tathā prāṇāngāṃ vitṛṣṇāmathākarot
Alors, prenant refuge dans la compassion, mettant de côté l’attachement né de ses enfants, et méprisant même son propre souffle de vie, elle délivra la vache de la soif.
Narrator (Sūta, by continuity)
Tirtha: (Contextual) The well/kund within the kṣetra (name not given)
Type: kund
Listener: Sages in the Purāṇic frame
Scene: The woman, parched and exhausted, draws or offers the scant water to the cow first; her face shows resolve and compassion; the cow drinks and revives. The moment is framed as sacred—light subtly falls on the act.
FAQs
Compassion that overcomes self-interest and attachment becomes powerful puṇya, capable of transforming destiny across births.
The act occurs within the sacred kṣetra praised in Adhyāya 62 (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra), illustrating its dharma-enhancing atmosphere.
No codified ritual; the verse elevates practical dharma—relieving thirst and serving the cow—as spiritually potent.