Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

पिङ्गः खुरविषाणाभ्यां स नीलो वृष उच्यते । यस्तु सर्वाङ्गपिङ्गश्च श्वेतः पुच्छखुरेषु च

Transliteration

piṅgaḥ khuraviṣāṇābhyāṃ sa nīlo vṛṣa ucyate | yastu sarvāṅgapiṅgaśca śvetaḥ pucchakhureṣu ca

Translation

ഖുരങ്ങളിലും കൊമ്പുകളിലും പിങ്ങ (താമ്രവർണ്ണം) ഉള്ള വൃഷഭനെ ‘നീല’ വൃഷഭൻ എന്നു പറയുന്നു. എന്നാൽ ശരീരമൊട്ടാകെ പിങ്ങയായി, വാലിലും ഖുരങ്ങളിലും ശ്വേതം ഉള്ളവൻ പ്രത്യേകമായി ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ.

Word by Word

• पिङ्गः: tawny
• पिङ्गः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वृषः)

• खुरविषाणाभ्याम्: by (its) hooves and horns
• खुरविषाणाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खुर-विषाण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (खुरौ च विषाणे च)

• सः: that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नीलः: dark/blue-black
• नीलः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वृषः)

• वृषः: bull
• वृषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• सर्वाङ्गपिङ्गः: tawny in all limbs
• सर्वाङ्गपिङ्गः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-अङ्ग-पिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः—सर्वेषु अङ्गेषु पिङ्गः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• श्वेतः: white
• श्वेतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यः/वृषः)

• पुच्छखुरेषु: on the tail and hooves
• पुच्छखुरेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुच्छ-खुर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पुच्छेषु च खुरेषु च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (Revā-khaṇḍa narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, almost ‘manual-like’ depiction of bulls with distinct hoof/horn/tail colorations, shown to a patron by a priest for correct selection.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣa (bull)
• Nīla (type)
• Piṅga (type)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced with discernment—ritual gifts are specified with auspicious characteristics to maximize sacred intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-khaṇḍa tīrtha context of the discourse (not named in this verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Selecting an appropriate bull for vṛṣotsarga based on defined color/marking categories.