Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सौवर्णं कारयेद्देवं यथाशक्ति सुरूपिणम् । स्थापयेत्ताम्रके पात्रे गुडपीठसमन्विते

Transliteration

sauvarṇaṃ kārayeddevaṃ yathāśakti surūpiṇam | sthāpayettāmrake pātre guḍapīṭhasamanvite

Translation

Man lasse, nach eigener Kraft, ein goldenes Bild der Gottheit anfertigen, von schöner Gestalt; und stelle es in ein Kupfergefäß, das auf einem Sockel aus Jaggery (gud) ruht.

Word by Word

• सौवर्णम्: golden
• सौवर्णम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (देवम्)

• कारयेत्: should have (it) made
• कारयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) ‘should cause to be made’

• देवम्: the deity (image)
• देवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यथाशक्ति: according to (one’s) capacity
• यथाशक्ति: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (according to ability)

• सुरूपिणम्: handsome/well-formed
• सुरूपिणम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक; सु + रूपिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (देवम्)

• स्थापयेत्: should place
• स्थापयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् ‘should place/establish’

• ताम्रके: in the copper (one)
• ताम्रके: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पात्रे)

• पात्रे: in the vessel
• पात्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गुडपीठसमन्विते: provided with a base of jaggery
• गुडपीठसमन्विते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुड (प्रातिपदिक) + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम् + अन्वि (धातु) → समन्वित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पात्रे); समास (गुडपीठेन समन्विते)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Artisans present a small radiant golden deity image; it is placed carefully into a shining copper vessel resting on a thick pedestal of jaggery blocks; attendants prepare flowers and incense nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Guḍa
• Tāmra-pātra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is measured by sincerity and proportionate giving—worship is to be done ‘according to one’s ability’ (yathāśakti).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region; the verse itself gives a portable ritual method rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare a golden deity image (as feasible) and install it in a copper vessel on a jaggery base (guḍa-pīṭha).