Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

आयसस्य खुराः कार्यास्ताम्रपृष्ठाः सुभूषिताः । लवणाचलं पूर्वस्यामाग्नेय्यां गुडपर्वतम्

Transliteration

āyasasya khurāḥ kāryāstāmrapṛṣṭhāḥ subhūṣitāḥ | lavaṇācalaṃ pūrvasyāmāgneyyāṃ guḍaparvatam

Translation

Ihre Hufe sollen aus Eisen gefertigt, ihr Rücken mit Kupfer beschlagen und schön geschmückt werden. Im Osten stelle man einen „Salzberg“ auf, und im Südosten einen „Jaggery-Berg“.

Word by Word

• आयसस्य: of iron
• आयसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खुराः: hooves
• खुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कार्याः: should be made
• कार्याः: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (प्रत्यय) → कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) विधेय-विशेषण

• ताम्रपृष्ठाः: having copper backs/plates
• ताम्रपृष्ठाः: Karta (Predicate complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्र + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (ताम्रं पृष्ठं येषाम्)

• सुभूषिताः: well-adorned
• सुभूषिताः: Karta (Predicate complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + भूषित (प्रातिपदिक; √भूष्-क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; उपसर्ग-युक्त

• लवणाचलम्: the salt-mountain
• लवणाचलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (लवणः अचलः)

• पूर्वस्याम्: in the east
• पूर्वस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशि (in the eastern direction)

• आग्नेय्याम्: in the southeast
• आग्नेय्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आग्नेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशि (in the southeast)

• गुडपर्वतम्: the jaggery-mountain
• गुडपर्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुड + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (गुडः पर्वतः)

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator detailing the prescribed setup for mahiṣī-dāna.

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A buffalo-cow prepared for donation: iron hooves, copper-plated back, ornaments; to the east a conical ‘salt mountain’, to the southeast a ‘jaggery mountain’, arranged on ritual ground with directional markers.

Characters & Entities

• Iron (āyasa)
• Copper (tāmra)
• Salt (lavaṇa)
• Jaggery (guḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic rites encode cosmic order through directionality and symbolic materials, turning charity into a consecrated, world-supporting act.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse belongs to Revā-khaṇḍa’s ritual instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare the buffalo-cow with iron hooves and copper-plated, decorated back; place salt in the east and jaggery in the southeast as directional offerings.