Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अलंकृत्य सवत्सां च शक्त्यालङ्कारभूषिताम् । यः प्रयच्छति राजेन्द्र स गच्छेत्परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

alaṃkṛtya savatsāṃ ca śaktyālaṅkārabhūṣitām | yaḥ prayacchati rājendra sa gacchetparamāṃ gatim

Translation

Wahai raja segala raja, sesiapa yang di sana bersedekah seekor lembu bersama anaknya, dihias dengan perhiasan yang wajar, nescaya mencapai destinasi tertinggi.

Word by Word

• अलंकृत्य: having adorned
• अलंकृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलंकृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: अलंकृ; अर्थे: पूर्वकर्म (having adorned)

• सवत्साम्: (a cow) with a calf
• सवत्साम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (सह वत्सेन = with a calf)

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

• शक्त्या: with a spear/weapon (śakti)
• शक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अलङ्कारभूषिताम्: adorned with ornaments
• अलङ्कारभूषिताम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त, भूष् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (अलङ्कारैः भूषिता = adorned with ornaments); कृदन्त: क्त (past passive participle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• प्रयच्छति: gives, bestows
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः = king of kings)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; तदन्वय (correlative pronoun)

• गच्छेत्: would go / should attain
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• गतिम्: state, destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator addressing Rājendra (listener implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra (specific spot implied by context)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as 'rājendra/mahīpāla' (likely the frame-listener of Revākhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a luminous riverbank tīrtha, a kingly donor offers a decorated cow with her calf to a serene brāhmaṇa; attendants hold garlands and vessels; the river glints behind, suggesting sacred auspiciousness and liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Rājendra (King, listener)
• Piṅgaleśvara (context)
• Kapilā cow (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed with reverence and within one’s means becomes a direct cause for the highest spiritual welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Piṅgaleśvara’s sacred locality in the Revā Khaṇḍa, where the donation is praised as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna of an adorned cow with calf, proportionate to one’s capacity (śaktyā).