Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अवनिज्य ततः पादौ शिरसा धारयज्जलम् । सुवर्णशृंगसहितां रौप्यखुरविभूषिताम्

Transliteration

avanijya tataḥ pādau śirasā dhārayajjalam | suvarṇaśṛṃgasahitāṃ raupyakhuravibhūṣitām

Translation

Puis, après lui avoir lavé les pieds et porté cette eau sur sa tête, (le roi présenta) une vache aux cornes d’or et aux sabots ornés d’argent.

Word by Word

• अवनिज्य: having washed
• अवनिज्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-नी (धातु) → अवनिज्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive; -य/ल्यप्) ‘having washed’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-krama (Sequencing)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘then/from there’

• पादौ: (two) feet
• पादौ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), द्विवचन

• शिरसा: with (his) head
• शिरसा: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• धारयत्: bearing, holding
• धारयत्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु) → धारयत् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि ‘bearing/holding’

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सुवर्णशृंगसहिताम्: accompanied with golden horns
• सुवर्णशृंगसहिताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + शृंग (प्रातिपदिक) + सहित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सुवर्णस्य शृंगे; ताभ्यां सहिता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गाम्/धेनुम् इत्यनुक्तस्य)

• रौप्यखुरविभूषिताम्: adorned with silver hooves
• रौप्यखुरविभूषिताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौप्य (प्रातिपदिक) + खुर (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रौप्यैः खुरैः विभूषिता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गाम्/धेनुम्)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual attribution within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king washes the brāhmaṇa’s feet; he lifts the sanctified water to his head. Nearby stands a richly adorned cow with golden horns and silver-hoof ornaments.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpa (king)
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• go/dhenu (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes spiritually potent when offered with reverence—service (honoring feet) and a pure intention elevate the gift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s māhātmya is reinforced through exemplary dāna-dharma performed in its sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāda-prakṣālana (washing the recipient’s feet) and go-dāna (donation of a cow), described with traditional auspicious adornments.