Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

स्त्रीणां चैव तु शूद्राणामामश्राद्धं प्रशस्यते । आमं चतुर्गुणं देयं ब्राह्मणानां युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

strīṇāṃ caiva tu śūdrāṇāmāmaśrāddhaṃ praśasyate | āmaṃ caturguṇaṃ deyaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ yudhiṣṭhira

Translation

Für Frauen und für Śūdras wird die Darbringung eines ungekochten Śrāddha besonders gepriesen. Für Brāhmaṇas aber, o Yudhiṣṭhira, soll die ungekochte Gabe vierfach dargebracht werden.

Word by Word

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (adversative/emphatic particle)

• शूद्राणाम्: of Śūdras
• शूद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आमश्राद्धम्: raw/uncooked śrāddha (offering)
• आमश्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आम + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक); आम (विशेषण) + श्राद्ध (संज्ञा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रशस्यते: is praised/commended
• प्रशस्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• आमम्: raw (food/offering)
• आमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुर्गुणम्: fourfold
• चतुर्गुणम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• देयम्: to be given
• देयम्: Kriya (Predicative obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधिलिङ्गार्थक/कर्तव्यता-बोधक (gerundive: ‘to be given’)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Vyāsa (in dialogue with Yudhiṣṭhira) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (general Narmadā ford context)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverbank śrāddha scene: the yajamāna prepares uncooked offerings in leaf-bowls, with measured portions set aside; Brāhmaṇas sit in a neat row, ritual items arranged on darbha mats; the Revā flows behind with a serene, purifying presence.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Brāhmaṇas
• Śūdras
• Women

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual charity is to be adapted to prescribed eligibility and method, emphasizing proper measure and intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha context frames these śrāddha prescriptions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āmaśrāddha is praised for women and Śūdras; for Brāhmaṇas, the uncooked offering is to be given fourfold.