Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

ददाति द्विजमुख्याय सुकुमारतनुर्भवेत् । लवणं विप्रवर्याय तृतीयायां प्रयच्छति

Transliteration

dadāti dvijamukhyāya sukumāratanurbhavet | lavaṇaṃ vipravaryāya tṛtīyāyāṃ prayacchati

Translation

Durch eine Gabe an einen vorzüglichen Brāhmaṇa wird der Leib zart und anmutig; und wer am Tṛtīyā (dritten Mondtag) einem trefflichen Brāhmaṇa Salz darreicht, erlangt ebendieses Verdienst.

Word by Word

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजमुख्याय: to the foremost Brahmin
• द्विजमुख्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• सुकुमारतनुः: having a very delicate body
• सुकुमारतनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + कुमार + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (स्त्री-कर्तृ-विशेषण)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लवणम्: salt
• लवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विप्रवर्याय: to an excellent Brahmin
• विप्रवर्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• तृतीयायाम्: on the third (tithi)
• तृतीयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तिथि-विशेष

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Queen

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman offers a small cloth pouch or bowl of salt to an honored brāhmaṇa; the brāhmaṇa blesses her, and the scene subtly suggests bodily radiance and grace as the promised fruit.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity offered with proper recipient and timing (tithi) refines one’s life—symbolized here as bodily grace and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) milieu frames the teaching, but the verse emphasizes ritual charity rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Tṛtīyā (3rd lunar day), donate salt (lavaṇa) to a worthy Brāhmaṇa.