Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अभिगम्योत्तमं दानं यच्च दानमयाचितम् । भविष्यति युगस्यान्तस्तस्यान्तो नैव विद्यते

Transliteration

abhigamyottamaṃ dānaṃ yacca dānamayācitam | bhaviṣyati yugasyāntastasyānto naiva vidyate

Translation

Die Gabe, die man durch persönliches Hinzutreten zum Empfänger darbringt, gilt als die höchste; und auch die Gabe, die ohne Bitte gegeben wird, wird sehr gepriesen. Mag das Zeitalter (Yuga) enden — das Ende dieses Verdienstes wird nicht gefunden.

Word by Word

• अभिगम्य: having approached
• अभिगम्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: गम्, उपसर्ग: अभि; अव्ययत्वात् अविकारी

• उत्तमम्: best, highest
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दानम् इति)

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Anvaya (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• दानम्: gift
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• अयाचितम्: unsolicited, not asked for
• अयाचितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-याचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; याच् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक (negated)

• भविष्यति: will be/become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• युगस्य: of the age (yuga)
• युगस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive)

• अन्तः: end
• अन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• तस्य: of that (of it)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive)

• अन्तः: end
• अन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; भावे प्रयोगः (exists)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience/ṛṣis (frame listeners)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim on the Revā bank approaches a humble, worthy recipient with folded hands and offers food/cloth without being asked; behind them the river glows, suggesting ‘akṣaya’ continuity beyond time.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unsolicited and proactive charity is especially meritorious, and its spiritual fruit is described as enduring beyond cosmic cycles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse is a general teaching on the greatness of dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prefer giving that is proactive (abhigamya) and unasked (ayācita), emphasizing the giver’s initiative and purity of intent.