Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणादत्र महिषीदानमुत्तमम् । तस्याः शृङ्गे जलं कार्यं धूम्रवस्त्रानुवेष्टिता

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇādatra mahiṣīdānamuttamam | tasyāḥ śṛṅge jalaṃ kāryaṃ dhūmravastrānuveṣṭitā

Translation

ด้วยเหตุนี้ ในที่นี้จึงถือว่าทานกระบือเพศเมียเป็นทานอันสูงสุด พึงวางน้ำไว้ที่เขาของนาง และห่มพันด้วยผ้าสีควัน

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कारणात्: from the reason/cause
• कारणात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• महिषीदानम्: gift of a she-buffalo
• महिषीदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (महिष्याः दानम्)

• उत्तमम्: best
• उत्तमम्: Karta (Predicate complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तस्याः: of her/of that (fem.)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शृङ्गे: on the horn
• शृङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कार्यम्: to be made/should be placed
• कार्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (प्रत्यय) → कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) विधेय-विशेषण

• धूम्रवस्त्रानुवेष्टिता: wrapped with a grey cloth
• धूम्रवस्त्रानुवेष्टिता: Karta (Predicate complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धूम्र + वस्त्र + अनु-√वेष्ट् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (धूम्रवस्त्रेण) अनुवेष्टिता = wrapped with a grey cloth

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator giving procedural details to Yudhiṣṭhira.

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests perform saṅkalpa; a buffalo-cow stands calmly, horn touched with a water vessel; she is wrapped in smoke-colored cloth, adorned for donation.

Characters & Entities

• Mahiṣī-dāna
• Water (jala)
• Ritual cloth (vastra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not only intention but also correct ritual form; precise observance strengthens the spiritual efficacy of dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Revā-khaṇḍa’s dharma instruction and does not directly praise a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

In mahiṣī-dāna, place water on the buffalo-cow’s horn and wrap her in a smoke-colored cloth.