Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

पात्रं परीक्ष्य दातव्यमात्मनः श्रेय इच्छता । पितरस्तस्य तृप्यन्ति द्वादशाब्दान्यसंशयम्

Transliteration

pātraṃ parīkṣya dātavyamātmanaḥ śreya icchatā | pitarastasya tṛpyanti dvādaśābdānyasaṃśayam

Translation

Wer sein höchstes Heil begehrt, soll erst nach Prüfung der Würdigkeit des Empfängers geben. Denn die Pitṛs (Ahnen) dieses Gebers sind ohne Zweifel zwölf Jahre lang zufrieden.

Word by Word

• पात्रम्: a worthy recipient (fit person)
• पात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• परीक्ष्य: having examined
• परीक्ष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive)

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय (to be given)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• श्रेयः: welfare, highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• इच्छता: by (one) desiring
• इच्छता: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष्/√इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘इच्छता’ = by one who desires

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तृप्यन्ति: are satisfied
• तृप्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• द्वादशाब्दानि: for twelve years
• द्वादशाब्दानि: Kala-adhikarana (Time extent/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) (कालपरिमाणे), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगु

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ (नञ्) + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim respectfully offering a gift to a learned, restrained brāhmaṇa after inquiry; behind them, a subtle ancestral presence receiving satisfaction (pitṛs in faint luminous forms).

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (Ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes spiritually potent when offered to a worthy recipient; it directly benefits one’s ancestors and one’s own śreyas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is the Revā (Narmadā) region in the Reva Khaṇḍa, where śrāddha and dāna are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) is prescribed with a prior examination of pātra (worthiness), yielding long-lasting Pitṛ satisfaction.