Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

दीपं घृतेन दातव्यं गीतं वाद्यं च कारयेत् । प्रभाते पूजयेद्विप्रानात्मनः श्रेय इच्छति

Transliteration

dīpaṃ ghṛtena dātavyaṃ gītaṃ vādyaṃ ca kārayet | prabhāte pūjayedviprānātmanaḥ śreya icchati

Translation

Man soll eine mit Ghee genährte Lampe darbringen und Gesang sowie Instrumentalmusik veranstalten. Im Morgengrauen soll, wer sein höchstes Heil begehrt, die Brāhmaṇas ehren.

Word by Word

• दीपम्: lamp
• दीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• दातव्यम्: should be given/offered
• दातव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (कर्तव्यता/obligation), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicative)

• गीतम्: song/singing
• गीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक; √गै/गाय् क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाद्यम्: instrumental music/playing
• वाद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक; √वद्/वाद् यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कारयेत्: should cause to be done/arrange
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (प्रेरण)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative/vidhi), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• प्रभाते: in the morning
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Locus/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship/honour
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• श्रेयः: welfare/benefit
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इच्छति: desires
• इच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (context continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā) context; specific sub-tīrtha not named in this verse

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside dawn: a pilgrim lights a ghee lamp before a small shrine/altar, while singers and instrumentalists perform; nearby, learned brāhmaṇas are respectfully welcomed and honored.

Characters & Entities

• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)
• Dīpa
• Ghṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship is completed by generosity and reverence—light-offering, devotional praise, and honoring the learned are integral to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing Dhanada-tīrtha observance within the Revā Khaṇḍa pilgrimage setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ghṛta-dīpa offering, arranging gīta-vādya (devotional music), and morning honoring of brāhmaṇas.