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

พึงจัดทำโคศักดิ์สิทธิ์ ‘ไวตระณี’ อันเป็นมงคล สีดำหรือสีน้ำตาลแดง มีเขาทอง กีบเงิน และกำหนดให้รีดน้ำนมลงในภาชนะสำริด

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.