Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

एकापि गौः प्रदातव्या वस्त्रालंकारभूषणा । दोग्ध्री सवत्सा तरुणी द्विजमुख्याय कल्पिता

Transliteration

ekāpi gauḥ pradātavyā vastrālaṃkārabhūṣaṇā | dogdhrī savatsā taruṇī dvijamukhyāya kalpitā

Translation

Walau seekor lembu pun hendaklah didermakan—dihias dengan kain dan perhiasan—iaitu lembu yang mengeluarkan susu, masih muda, bersama anaknya, dan dipersembahkan dengan wajar kepada seorang Brāhmaṇa terkemuka.

Word by Word

• एका: one
• एका: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक अव्यय (particle: 'even/also')

• गौः: cow
• गौः: Karta (Subject: cow)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• प्रदातव्या: is to be given
• प्रदातव्या: Predicate (obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु) → प्रदातव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); विधेय-विशेषण

• वस्त्रालंकारभूषणा: adorned with clothes and ornaments
• वस्त्रालंकारभूषणा: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अलंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/सूचीसमास (वस्त्र+अलंकार+भूषण); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); गौः-विशेषण

• दोग्ध्री: a milch-cow; one that gives milk
• दोग्ध्री: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुह् (धातु) → दोग्धृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृच्-प्रत्यय (agent noun); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• सवत्सा: with a calf
• सवत्सा: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• तरुणी: young
• तरुणी: Visheshana (qualifier of गौः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• द्विजमुख्याय: to the foremost Brahmin
• द्विजमुख्याय: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (मुख्यः द्विजः); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचन (Masculine, Dative, Singular)

• कल्पिता: is prescribed/arranged
• कल्पिता: Kriya (resultant state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु) → कल्पित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे—'appointed/arranged' (predicate with गौः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Skanda Purāṇa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor presents a decorated young milch cow with her calf to a venerable brāhmaṇa near a tīrtha; cloth, garlands, and ornaments adorn the cow; attendants hold water-pot and dakṣiṇā tray.

Characters & Entities

• Gauḥ (cow)
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Go-dāna, done with care and dignity, is a high form of dharmic charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate a milch, young cow with her calf, adorned with cloth and ornaments, to a worthy Brāhmaṇa.