Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

कृष्णां वा पाटलां वापि कुर्याद्वैतरणीं शुभाम् । स्वर्णशृङ्गीं रूप्यखुरां कांस्यपात्रस्य दोहिनीम्

Transliteration

kṛṣṇāṃ vā pāṭalāṃ vāpi kuryādvaitaraṇīṃ śubhām | svarṇaśṛṅgīṃ rūpyakhurāṃ kāṃsyapātrasya dohinīm

Translation

Hendaklah dibuat lembu suci ‘Vaitaraṇī’ yang membawa keberkatan—berwarna hitam atau perang kemerahan—bertanduk emas, berkuku perak, dan disediakan untuk diperah ke dalam bejana gangsa.

Word by Word

• कृष्णाम्: black (one)
• कृष्णाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. acc. sg.)

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

• पाटलाम्: reddish/pinkish
• पाटलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाटला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. acc. sg.)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वर्थ-निपात (also/even)

• कुर्यात्: should make
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• वैतरणीम्: (a cow named) Vaitaraṇī
• वैतरणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. acc. sg.)

• स्वर्णशृङ्गीम्: having golden horns
• स्वर्णशृङ्गीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण-शृङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ण + शृङ्गिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gold-horned)

• रूप्यखुराम्: with silver hooves
• रूप्यखुराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप्य-खुर (प्रातिपदिक; रूप्य + खुर)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (silver-hoofed)

• कांस्यपात्रस्य: of a bronze vessel
• कांस्यपात्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कांस्य-पात्र (प्रातिपदिक; कांस्य + पात्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (bronze vessel)

• दोहिनीम्: a milch cow (yielding milk)
• दोहिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (milch-giving)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revākhaṇḍa dialogue context; a Purāṇic narrator instructing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-pradeśa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual space by a riverbank: an auspicious cow fashioned/arranged—black or tawny—with gold horns, silver hooves, positioned for milking into a bronze vessel; priests and donor in attentive posture.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate gifting, symbolized through gau-dāna, is presented as a powerful support for the soul’s difficult passage after death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Revākhaṇḍa (Revā/Narmadā sacred region), where dāna and tīrtha-merit are closely connected.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparing the Vaitaraṇī-dhenu with specified color and ornaments, and arranging a bronze vessel for milking.