Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

बहुस्वर्णस्य यत्प्रोक्तं यागस्य फलमुत्तमम् । तथासौ लभते सर्वं काञ्चनं यः प्रयच्छति

Transliteration

bahusvarṇasya yatproktaṃ yāgasya phalamuttamam | tathāsau labhate sarvaṃ kāñcanaṃ yaḥ prayacchati

Translation

Welcher höchste Lohn auch für ein yajña verkündet wird, das mit reichlichem Gold vollzogen ist—denselben Lohn in ganzer Fülle erlangt, wer Gold als Gabe spendet.

Word by Word

• बहुस्वर्णस्य: of much gold
• बहुस्वर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु + स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः—“much gold”

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative)

• प्रोक्तम्: said/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यागस्य: of a sacrifice
• यागस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): “thus/likewise”

• असौ: that person
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative)

• प्रयच्छति: gives
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic juxtaposition: on one side a grand yajña with golden vessels; on the other, a simple act of giving gold to a brāhmaṇa at the river—both radiating the same aura of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Yāga (sacrifice)
• Kāñcana (gold)
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Selfless giving can confer the same spiritual merit as elaborate, resource-intensive sacrifices—dharma is accessible through dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha narrative of Adhyāya 104.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate gold (kāñcana) as a dharmic act yielding the highest sacrificial merit.