Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 115
न भवन्तीह चाङ्गेषु पूर्वकर्मार्जितान्यपि । कृष्णां धेनुं तथाष्टम्यां या प्रयच्छति भामिनी
na bhavantīha cāṅgeṣu pūrvakarmārjitānyapi | kṛṣṇāṃ dhenuṃ tathāṣṭamyāṃ yā prayacchati bhāminī
Wahai wanita mulia, bahkan penyakit yang terhimpun daripada karma lampau pun tidak timbul pada tubuhnya di dunia ini—dialah yang pada hari Aṣṭamī bersedekah seekor lembu betina hitam.
Śaṅkara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)
Type: ghat
Listener: Bhāminī / Rājñī
Scene: On Aṣṭamī, a noblewoman leads a black cow decorated with garlands to a righteous brāhmaṇa; the cow is calm, with a small bell; the river and a small shrine appear in the background.
FAQs
Charity performed on an auspicious tithi is presented as a dharmic remedy that weakens the painful ripening of past karma.
The instruction is situated within the Revā Khaṇḍa, aligned with the sacred culture of pilgrimage and giving in the Revā (Narmadā) region.
Go-dāna: gifting a black cow on Aṣṭamī.