Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

वृद्धिं यातु सदा वंशो ज्ञातिवर्गो द्विजोत्तम । एवमुच्चार्य विप्राय दानं देयं स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

vṛddhiṃ yātu sadā vaṃśo jñātivargo dvijottama | evamuccārya viprāya dānaṃ deyaṃ svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

„Möge unser Geschlecht und der Kreis unserer Verwandten stets gedeihen, o Bester der Brāhmaṇas.“ So sprechend gebe man dem Brāhmaṇa eine Gabe nach eigener Kraft.

Word by Word

• वृद्धिम्: increase/prosperity
• वृद्धिम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यातु: may it attain/go to
• यातु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-बोधक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वंशः: lineage
• वंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ज्ञातिवर्गः: group of relatives
• ज्ञातिवर्गः: Karta (Subject, in apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-बोधक अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• उच्चार्य: having recited
• उच्चार्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद् + चर् (धातु) → उच्चार्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having uttered)

• विप्राय: to a Brāhmaṇa
• विप्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/what is enjoined)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• स्वशक्तितः: according to one’s capacity
• स्वशक्तितः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/measure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), सामर्थ्य-परिमाण-बोधक (according to one’s ability)

Speaker

Vyāsa (teaching ritual utterance and dāna) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (general)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama (addressed within the utterance) and Yudhiṣṭhira (instructional addressee in the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Completion of śrāddha: the yajamāna offers dakṣiṇā (coins/cloth/food) to a seated Brāhmaṇa; the Brāhmaṇa raises a hand in blessing; family members stand respectfully behind; the river and darbha mats remain as ritual backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama (excellent Brāhmaṇa)
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites are joined with charity and prayer for the well-being and continuity of family and kin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha tradition where śrāddha and dāna are specially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After uttering a blessing, give dāna to the Brāhmaṇa according to one’s means.