Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

सर्वे ते ह्युपजीवन्ति हुतं दत्तं शशिस्थितम् । वनस्पतिगते सोमे धनवांश्च वरानने

Transliteration

sarve te hyupajīvanti hutaṃ dattaṃ śaśisthitam | vanaspatigate some dhanavāṃśca varānane

Translation

All beings indeed live supported by what is offered in fire and what is given in charity, established under the Moon; and when Soma abides in vegetation, one becomes endowed with prosperity, O fair-faced one.

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• उपजीवन्ति: live by, subsist on
• उपजीवन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; धातुः—जीव्, उपसर्गः—उप

• हुतम्: offered (in sacrifice)
• हुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given (as gift)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शशिस्थितम्: situated in the moon
• शशिस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शशि + स्थित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—शशि-स्थित (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः: शशिनि स्थितम्)

• वनस्पतिगते: when (it is) in the trees
• वनस्पतिगते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनस्पति + गत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—वनस्पति-गत (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः: वनस्पतौ गते)

• सोमे: in Soma (the Moon)
• सोमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• धनवान्: a wealthy man
• धनवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरानना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—वर + आनना (कर्मधारयः)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā/Devī addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moonlit sacrificial scene by a riverbank: offerings into fire, charity to supplicants, and Soma’s glow entering leaves and crops, culminating in prosperity symbols (grain, cattle, full granary).

Characters & Entities

• Śaśin (Moon)
• Soma
• Vanaspatī (vegetation/trees)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna (giving) and yajña (offerings) sustain the world; prosperity is portrayed as aligned with cosmic rhythms and righteous action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Revā (Narmadā) region frames the discourse, but this verse emphasizes dharma and cosmic order rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights huta (fire-offerings) and datta (charity) as sustaining acts associated with lunar order.