Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

फलानि चैव दानानां शृणुष्वाथ नृपोत्तम । अन्नं संस्कारसंयुक्तं ये ददन्ते नरोत्तमाः

Transliteration

phalāni caiva dānānāṃ śṛṇuṣvātha nṛpottama | annaṃ saṃskārasaṃyuktaṃ ye dadante narottamāḥ

Translation

Höre nun, o bester der Könige, die Früchte der Gaben: jene edlen Männer, die Speise schenken, recht bereitet und durch die Riten geheiligt…

Word by Word

• फलानि: fruits, results
• फलानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय; conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण; emphatic)

• दानानाम्: of gifts, of donations
• दानानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शृणुष्व: hear (listen)
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• अथ: now, then
• अथ: Avyaya (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रारम्भार्थक; ‘now/then’)

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘उत्तमः नृपः’

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संस्कारसंयुक्तम्: accompanied by proper rites/preparation
• संस्कारसंयुक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्कार + संयुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √युज्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘संस्कारैः संयुक्तम्’ (prepared/ritually refined)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ददन्ते: give
• ददन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• नरोत्तमाः: excellent men
• नरोत्तमाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘उत्तमाः नराः’

Speaker

Unspecified narrator addressing the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa-uttama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-narrator addresses a king; in the foreground, householders offer sanctified food on clean leaf-plates to worthy recipients (brāhmaṇas, ascetics), with water-pot and mantra gestures indicating saṃskāra.

Characters & Entities

• dāna
• anna-dāna
• saṃskāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is most fruitful when offered properly—prepared and sanctified—reflecting reverence and dharmic care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Maṇināgeśvara Māhātmya in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer anna-dāna (food charity) that is saṃskāra-saṃyukta—properly prepared and ritually fit.