Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्यां शतं शतगुणीकृतम् । प्राप्नोति पुरुषो दत्त्वा यथाशक्त्या ह्यलंकृताम्

Transliteration

agniṣṭomātirātrābhyāṃ śataṃ śataguṇīkṛtam | prāpnoti puruṣo dattvā yathāśaktyā hyalaṃkṛtām

Translation

Wer (die Jungfrau) nach Kräften geschmückt hingibt, erlangt Verdienst, hundertfach und abermals hundertfach vermehrt, das die Früchte von Agniṣṭoma- und Atirātra-Opfern übertrifft.

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्याम्: by (the merits of) Agniṣṭoma and Atirātra (sacrifices)
• अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम + अतिरात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (अग्निष्टोमश्च अतिरात्रश्च)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• शतगुणीकृतम्: made a hundredfold
• शतगुणीकृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत + गुणीकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गुणी√कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् शतम्-समन्वयि; तत्पुरुषः (शतेन गुणीकृतम् = made hundredfold)

• प्राप्नोति: attains; obtains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुरुषः: a man
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• यथाशक्त्या: according to one’s ability
• यथाशक्त्या: Karana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial use)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/causal particle)

• अलंकृताम्: (a maiden) adorned
• अलंकृताम्: Karma (Object—elliptic)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलङ्कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (पूर्वश्लोकस्थ) कन्याम् इति कर्मपदम् अनुवर्तते

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic juxtaposition: on one side a grand soma-yajña arena (Agniṣṭoma/Atirātra), on the other a simple yet radiant kanyā-dāna at Agnitīrtha, with merit depicted as a luminous scale tipping toward the tīrtha act.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma
• Atirātra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma often proclaims that sincere dāna and saṃskāra performed rightly can equal or exceed famed Vedic sacrificial merits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agnitīrtha (context from the preceding verses in Adhyāya 127).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give the maiden in marriage with appropriate adornment, proportionate to one’s means (yathāśakti).