Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अयने विषुवे चैव चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहे तथा । रवितीर्थे प्रदत्तानां दानानां फलमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ayane viṣuve caiva candrasūryagrahe tathā | ravitīrthe pradattānāṃ dānānāṃ phalamuttamam

Translation

Zu Sonnenwenden und Tagundnachtgleichen sowie bei Mond- und Sonnenfinsternissen bringen die in Ravitīrtha dargebrachten Gaben die höchste Frucht.

Word by Word

• अयने: at the solstice (ayana)
• अयने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• विषुवे: at the equinox
• विषुवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहे: at lunar/solar eclipse
• चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + सूर्य + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular); तत्पुरुष समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘चन्द्रस्य सूर्यस्य च ग्रहः’ = eclipse of moon and sun)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चय (adverb: likewise/also)

• रवितीर्थे: at Ravi-tīrtha (Sun’s sacred ford)
• रवितीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular); तत्पुरुष समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘रवेः तीर्थम्’ = Sun’s sacred place)

• प्रदत्तानाम्: of (those) given/offered
• प्रदत्तानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र√दा (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle) ‘प्रदत्त’; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; नपुंसक/पुं/स्त्री (context: दानानाम्)

• दानानाम्: of gifts/donations
• दानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative/accusative singular); here predicate nominative

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying फलम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ravitīrtha ghat crowded with pilgrims during eclipse/viṣuva; people giving dāna; priests chanting; the Sun and Moon shown in conjunction; dramatic sky over Revā.

Characters & Entities

• Ravitīrtha
• Candra (Moon)
• Sūrya (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma links sacred place with sacred time: tīrtha-dāna becomes most potent when performed on cosmically charged days.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ravitīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dāna at Ravitīrtha specifically during ayana (solstice), viṣuva (equinox), and during lunar/solar eclipses for the best result.