Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अवनिज्य ततः पादौ शिरसा धारयज्जलम् । सुवर्णशृंगसहितां रौप्यखुरविभूषिताम्

Transliteration

avanijya tataḥ pādau śirasā dhārayajjalam | suvarṇaśṛṃgasahitāṃ raupyakhuravibhūṣitām

Translation

तब (राजा ने) उनके चरण धोए और उस जल को शिर पर धारण किया; फिर स्वर्ण-शृंगों वाली और रजत-खुरों से विभूषित गौ (अर्पित की)।

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.