Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

हेमशृंगं रौप्यखुरं सवत्सं कांस्यदोहनम् । सवस्त्रं कपिलानां तु सहस्रं च दिनेदिने

Transliteration

hemaśṛṃgaṃ raupyakhuraṃ savatsaṃ kāṃsyadohanam | savastraṃ kapilānāṃ tu sahasraṃ ca dinedine

Translation

பொன் கொம்புகள், வெள்ளிக் குளம்புகள், கன்றுகளுடன், வெண்கலப் பால் கறக்கும் பாத்திரங்களுடன், ஆடையால் மூடப்பட்ட—இத்தகைய கபிலா பசுக்கள் ஆயிரம் தினந்தோறும் (தானம்).

Word by Word

• hemaśṛṅgam: having golden horns
• hemaśṛṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hema-śṛṅga (प्रातिपदिक; हेम + शृङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गोः/दान-वस्तुनः)

• raupyakhuram: having silver hooves
• raupyakhuram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raupya-khura (प्रातिपदिक; रौप्य + खुर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• savatsam: with its calf
• savatsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-vatsa (प्रातिपदिक; स + वत्स)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• kāṃsyadohanam: with a bronze milking-vessel
• kāṃsyadohanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāṃsya-dohana (प्रातिपदिक; कांस्य + दोहन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• savastram: with cloth/garments
• savastram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-vastra (प्रातिपदिक; स + वस्त्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• kapilānām: of tawny cows
• kapilānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of tawny cows)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• sahasram: a thousand
• sahasram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; संख्या-नाम; कर्म

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• dine: in a day
• dine: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• dine: day by day
• dine: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (idiom: day by day)

Speaker

Śrī Prahlāda (continuation of discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand donation scene: a line of tawny Kapilā cows with calves; attendants fitting cloth coverings; artisans presenting golden horn-caps and silver hoof-guards; bronze milking vessels stacked; a donor offering them to learned Brāhmaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā cows

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma extols generous dāna, using grand exemplars to indicate the immense merit of charity done with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself lists dāna items; the surrounding chapter frames merit in relation to Dvārakā and Kṛṣṇa’s sacred sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go-dāna: gifting Kapilā cows with specified auspicious adornments, repeatedly (day after day).