Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

इत्युच्चार्य द्विजे देया दक्षिणा च स्वशक्तितः । हविष्यान्नं विशालाक्ष द्विजानां चैव दापयेत्

Transliteration

ityuccārya dvije deyā dakṣiṇā ca svaśaktitaḥ | haviṣyānnaṃ viśālākṣa dvijānāṃ caiva dāpayet

Translation

Nachdem man dies gesprochen hat, soll man den Brāhmaṇas Dakṣiṇā nach eigener Kraft geben; und, o Weitblickender, man soll den Zweimalgeborenen auch Havisyānna, die reine Opfermahlzeit, reichen lassen.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उच्चार्य: having recited
• उच्चार्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्-चर् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund), 'उच्चार्य' = having uttered/recited

• द्विजे: to a brāhmaṇa
• द्विजे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• देया: to be given
• देया: Vidhi (Obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: विधेय-विशेषण; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'दक्षिणा' विशेषण

• दक्षिणा: fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• स्व: one's own
• स्व: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-स्वरूप विशेषण; समासपूर्वपद

• शक्तितः: according to (one's) capacity
• शक्तितः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'according to ability'

• हविष्यान्नम्: haviṣya-food (ritual meal)
• हविष्यान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविष्य + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'हविष्यं अन्नम्' (ritual food)

• विशालाक्ष: O wide-eyed one
• विशालाक्ष: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: 'विशालाक्षी यस्य सः' (O wide-eyed one)

• द्विजानाम्: of the brāhmaṇas
• द्विजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• दापयेत्: should cause (it) to be given
• दापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग: 'cause to give/offer'

Speaker

Narrator (within Revā Khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘viśālākṣa’ addressed (likely the king/interlocutor in the narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Completion of śrāddha: the yajamāna offers coins/cloth as dakṣiṇā; brāhmaṇas are served simple pure food (haviṣyānna) on leaf plates; atmosphere of respectful quiet.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Dakṣiṇā
• Haviṣyānna
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is completed by honoring worthy recipients—through dakṣiṇā and feeding—according to one’s means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha setting where śrāddha and allied charities are prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give dakṣiṇā to Brāhmaṇas as per capacity and serve haviṣyānna to the dvijas.