Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 186

Devanagari script

अलंकृतां सवत्सां च क्षीरिणीं तरुणीं सिताम् । रक्तां वा कृष्णवर्णां वा पाटलां कपिलां तथा

Transliteration

alaṃkṛtāṃ savatsāṃ ca kṣīriṇīṃ taruṇīṃ sitām | raktāṃ vā kṛṣṇavarṇāṃ vā pāṭalāṃ kapilāṃ tathā

Translation

Hendaklah dipersembahkan seekor lembu betina yang dihias dan bersama anaknya, yang banyak susu dan masih muda—sama ada putih, merah, hitam, pātalā (kemerahan), atau kapilā (keemasan kecoklatan).

Word by Word

• अलंकृताम्: adorned
• अलंकृताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलंकृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle)

• सवत्साम्: with a calf
• सवत्साम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—सह-तत्पुरुषः (वत्सेन सह)

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

• क्षीरिणीम्: milk-giving
• क्षीरिणीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तरुणीम्: young
• तरुणीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सिताम्: white
• सिताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• रक्ताम्: red
• रक्ताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• कृष्णवर्णाम्: black-colored
• कृष्णवर्णाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः; विशेषणम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• पाटलाम्: pale-reddish (rose-colored)
• पाटलाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाटला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कपिलाम्: tawny
• कपिलाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: ‘thus/also’)

Speaker

Narrator within Revākhaṇḍa (dāna-vidhi continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A decorated cow with a calf stands near the riverbank; attendants hold garlands and cloth; the donor gestures toward the brāhmaṇa recipient; multiple cows of different colors are shown as acceptable offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Go (cow)
• Vatsa (calf)
• Go-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Giving life-sustaining gifts (like a milk-yielding cow with calf) is upheld as a powerful dharmic support for rites and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Eraṇḍī-saṅgama / Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna: donate an adorned, young, milk-giving cow together with her calf; color is not a restriction.