Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 185

Devanagari script

हिरण्यभूमिकन्याश्च धूर्वाहौ शुभलक्षणौ । सीरेण सहितौ पार्थ धान्यं द्रोणकसंख्यया

Transliteration

hiraṇyabhūmikanyāśca dhūrvāhau śubhalakṣaṇau | sīreṇa sahitau pārtha dhānyaṃ droṇakasaṃkhyayā

Translation

يا بارثا، ينبغي أن يُتصدَّق بالذهب والأرض، وحتى بالبنات (عطية زواج بحسب العرف)، مع زوجٍ من الثيران المباركة الحسنة العلامات مع المحراث، ومع الحبوب بمقدارٍ يُقاس بالدروṇa.

Word by Word

• हिरण्यभूमिकन्याः: maidens of the golden ground (golden-earth maidens)
• हिरण्यभूमिकन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य + भूमि + कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हिरण्यभूमेः कन्याः)

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

• धूर्वाहौ: the two Dhūrvāhas
• धूर्वाहौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर्वाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• शुभलक्षणौ: having auspicious marks
• शुभलक्षणौ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (धूर्वाहौ इति)

• सीरेण: with a plough
• सीरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सहितौ: accompanied (together)
• सहितौ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (धूर्वाहौ इति)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• धान्यम्: grain
• धान्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• द्रोणकसंख्यया: by the count/number of droṇakas
• द्रोणकसंख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोणक + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्रोणकानां संख्या)

Speaker

Narrator within Revākhaṇḍa addressing Pārtha (royal listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor at a riverside tīrtha presents gold and a deed of land, then leads a well-marked pair of bullocks yoked to a plough; sacks of grain measured in droṇas are arranged before brāhmaṇas under a canopy.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha
• Hiraṇya
• Bhūmi
• Kanyā
• Dhūrvāha (bullocks)
• Sīra (plough)
• Dhānya
• Droṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity that sustains life and livelihood (land, cattle, grain) is praised as a high form of dharma when offered in sacred contexts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The dāna prescriptions occur within the Eraṇḍī-saṅgama / Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A catalog of dānas: gold, land, kanyā-dāna (as per dharma), a pair of auspicious bullocks with a plough, and grain in droṇa measures.