Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

सुवर्णं चैव निष्पावांस्तथा राजिकुसुम्भकम् । तृणराजेन्दुलवणं कुङ्कुमं तु तथाष्टमम्

Transliteration

suvarṇaṃ caiva niṣpāvāṃstathā rājikusumbhakam | tṛṇarājendulavaṇaṃ kuṅkumaṃ tu tathāṣṭamam

Translation

Dazu gehören: Gold; niṣpāva-Bohnen; ferner Senf und Färberdistel; Steinsalz; und als achtes der Safran.

Word by Word

• suvarṇam: gold
• suvarṇam: Karman/Padartha (Item listed/पदार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सूचीकरणे; English: Neuter singular ‘gold’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction); English: ‘and’

• eva: indeed
• eva: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic); English: ‘indeed/just’

• niṣpāvān: niṣpāva-beans/pulse
• niṣpāvān: Karman/Padartha (Item listed/पदार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣpāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (पाठे ‘निष्पावां’ इति सन्ध्यन्तर/लिप्यन्तरसम्भवः); English: Nominative singular ‘niṣpāva (a kind of pulse/bean)’

• tathā: also
• tathā: Samuccaya (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपमानार्थक (also/likewise); English: ‘also/likewise’

• rājikusumbhakam: rāji-kusumbhaka (a seed/spice)
• rājikusumbhakam: Karman/Padartha (Item listed/पदार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāji (प्रातिपदिक) + kusumbhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः) ‘राजी-नामकं कुसुम्भकं’; English: Neuter singular ‘rāji-kusumbhaka (a kind of safflower/mustard-like seed)’

• tṛṇarājendulavaṇam: a particular salt (tṛṇarāja-indu-lavaṇa)
• tṛṇarājendulavaṇam: Karman/Padartha (Item listed/पदार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇarāja (प्रातिपदिक) + indu (प्रातिपदिक) + lavaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (समाहार/विशेषण-विशेष्य) ‘तृणराज-इन्दु-लवणम्’ (विशिष्टं लवणम्); English: Neuter singular ‘tṛṇarāja-indu salt (a particular salt)’

• kuṅkumam: kuṅkuma (saffron/vermillion)
• kuṅkumam: Karman/Padartha (Item listed/पदार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṅkuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; English: Neuter singular ‘saffron/vermillion’

• tu: and/but
• tu: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed); English: ‘and/but’ (contrast/emphasis)

• tathā: also
• tathā: Samuccaya (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also’; English: ‘also’

• aṣṭamam: the eighth (item)
• aṣṭamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण; English: Neuter singular ‘the eighth’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa, Revā Khaṇḍa instructional passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of eight offerings arranged in ritual bowls: gleaming gold, pale beans, black mustard seeds, red-orange safflower, crystalline rock-salt, and deep red saffron; the balance waits beside them.

Characters & Entities

• Suvarṇa
• Niṣpāva
• Rāji (mustard)
• Kusumbha (safflower)
• Lavaṇa (salt)
• Kuṅkuma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even common earthly substances become sacred when offered through dharma, alongside precious items like gold.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The list is embedded in Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā-oriented dharma teaching rather than a single site-panegyric.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It enumerates the dāna materials to be placed on the tulā (balance) as part of the Tulāpuruṣa/Tulā-dāna rite.