Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सुवर्णशृंगसहितां राजतखुरभूषिताम् । रत्नपुच्छां वस्त्रयुतां ताम्रपृष्ठां सवत्सकाम्

Transliteration

suvarṇaśṛṃgasahitāṃ rājatakhurabhūṣitām | ratnapucchāṃ vastrayutāṃ tāmrapṛṣṭhāṃ savatsakām

Translation

Qu’on offre une vache parée de cornes d’or, aux sabots ornés d’argent, à la queue embellie de gemmes, revêtue d’étoffes, couverte au dos d’un voile de cuivre, et accompagnée de son veau.

Word by Word

• सुवर्णशृङ्गसहिताम्: having golden horns
• सुवर्णशृङ्गसहिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सहित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सुवर्णशृङ्गैः सहिता)

• राजतखुरभूषिताम्: adorned with silver hooves
• राजतखुरभूषिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजत (प्रातिपदिक) + खुर (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (भूषित), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (राजतखुरैः भूषिता)

• रत्नपुच्छाम्: with a jeweled tail
• रत्नपुच्छाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (रत्नपुच्छा—रत्नयुक्तं पुच्छं यस्याः)

• वस्त्रयुताम्: clothed/with garments
• वस्त्रयुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (युत), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वस्त्रेण युता)

• ताम्रपृष्ठाम्: with a copper-colored back
• ताम्रपृष्ठाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (ताम्रं पृष्ठं यस्याः)

• सवत्सकाम्: together with her calf
• सवत्सकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थ) + वत्सक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वत्सकेन सह)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomati-tīrtha at Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ) addressed in the passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee presents a richly adorned cow with her calf to a seated brāhmaṇa near the Gomati at Dvārakā; golden horn-caps, silver hoof-ornaments, gem-studded tail-band, cloth drape, and a copper-toned back-cover shimmer in lamplight; temple spire and riverbank in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Go-dāna (cow gift)
• Kārttika (context continued)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity (dāna), performed with reverence and completeness, is a central expression of Purāṇic dharma and amplifies tīrtha-related merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing setting is Dvārakā Māhātmya with Gomati-tīrtha context, where such dānas are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A go-dāna specification: gifting a cow with prescribed adornments and with her calf.