Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

एकापि गौः प्रदातव्या वस्त्रालंकारभूषणा । दोग्ध्री सवत्सा तरुणी द्विजमुख्याय कल्पिता

Transliteration

ekāpi gauḥ pradātavyā vastrālaṃkārabhūṣaṇā | dogdhrī savatsā taruṇī dvijamukhyāya kalpitā

Translation

Ne fût-ce qu’une seule vache, qu’on la donne en offrande—parée de tissu et d’ornements—une vache laitière, jeune, avec son veau, dûment remise à un brāhmaṇa éminent.

Word by Word

• एका: one
• एका: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक अव्यय (particle: 'even/also')

• गौः: cow
• गौः: Karta (Subject: cow)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• प्रदातव्या: is to be given
• प्रदातव्या: Predicate (obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु) → प्रदातव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); विधेय-विशेषण

• वस्त्रालंकारभूषणा: adorned with clothes and ornaments
• वस्त्रालंकारभूषणा: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अलंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/सूचीसमास (वस्त्र+अलंकार+भूषण); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); गौः-विशेषण

• दोग्ध्री: a milch-cow; one that gives milk
• दोग्ध्री: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुह् (धातु) → दोग्धृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृच्-प्रत्यय (agent noun); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• सवत्सा: with a calf
• सवत्सा: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• तरुणी: young
• तरुणी: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• द्विजमुख्याय: to the foremost Brahmin
• द्विजमुख्याय: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (मुख्यः द्विजः); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचन (Masculine, Dative, Singular)

• कल्पिता: is prescribed/arranged
• कल्पिता: Kriya (resultant state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु) → कल्पित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे—'appointed/arranged' (predicate with गौः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Skanda Purāṇa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor presents a decorated young milch cow with her calf to a venerable brāhmaṇa near a tīrtha; cloth, garlands, and ornaments adorn the cow; attendants hold water-pot and dakṣiṇā tray.

Characters & Entities

• Gauḥ (cow)
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Go-dāna, done with care and dignity, is a high form of dharmic charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate a milch, young cow with her calf, adorned with cloth and ornaments, to a worthy Brāhmaṇa.