Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

देवतायतनं विप्रं धेनुं मधु मृदं तथा । जातिवृद्धं वयोवृद्धं विद्यावृद्धं तथैव च

Transliteration

devatāyatanaṃ vipraṃ dhenuṃ madhu mṛdaṃ tathā | jātivṛddhaṃ vayovṛddhaṃ vidyāvṛddhaṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

Man erweise dem Heiligtum der Götter, dem Brāhmaṇa, der Kuh sowie auch dem Honig und der heiligen Erde die gebührende Verehrung; ebenso denen, die durch Herkunft, durch hohes Alter und durch Gelehrsamkeit hervorragen.

Word by Word

• देवतायतनम्: a shrine/abode of a deity
• देवतायतनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता-आयतन (प्रातिपदिक; देवता + आयतन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवतायाः आयतनम्)

• विप्रम्: a Brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धेनुम्: a cow
• धेनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मधु: honey
• मधु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (रूपं प्रथमा/द्वितीया समानम्)

• मृदम्: clay/earth
• मृदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: and likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/उपमानार्थक (also/likewise)

• जातिवृद्धम्: one advanced by birth/lineage
• जातिवृद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाति-वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; जाति + वृद्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जात्या वृद्धः)

• वयोवृद्धम्: one advanced in age
• वयोवृद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वयस्-वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; वयस् + वृद्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वयसाऽ वृद्धः)

• विद्यावृद्धम्: one advanced in learning
• विद्यावृद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्या-वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; विद्या + वृद्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विद्यया वृद्धः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारण (indeed/just)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled sages (deduced from Brāhma Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a small shrine, folds hands to the deity, offers respectful salutations to an elderly learned brāhmaṇa seated nearby, gently feeds a cow, and touches sacred earth with reverence; a small vessel of honey is kept among offerings.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through reverence—honoring sacred institutions (temples), sacred beings (brāhmaṇas, cows), and those worthy of respect by lineage, age, and learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily a dharma-instruction within the Dharmāraṇya context rather than a direct praise of a named tīrtha in the verse itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed; the instruction is ethical-ritual conduct (ācāra): offering honor and proper regard to temples, brāhmaṇas, cows, and venerable persons.