Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । सुवर्णं रजतं ताम्रं मणिमौक्तिकमेव च । भूमिदानं च गोदानं मोचयत्पशुभान्नरम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ tāmraṃ maṇimauktikameva ca | bhūmidānaṃ ca godānaṃ mocayatpaśubhānnaram

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Gold, silver, copper, jewels and pearls; the gift of land and the gift of cows—these forms of dāna release a man from the bonds of worldly existence.”

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रायः वक्तृनिर्देशः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुवर्णम्: gold (as a gift)
• सुवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रजतम्: silver
• रजतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ताम्रम्: copper
• ताम्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मणिमौक्तिकम्: gems and pearls
• मणिमौक्तिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि-मौक्तिक (प्रातिपदिक; मणि + मौक्तिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• भूमिदानम्: gift of land
• भूमिदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि-दान (प्रातिपदिक; भूमि + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूमेः दानम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• गोदानम्: gift of cows
• गोदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-दान (प्रातिपदिक; गो + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गवां दानम्)

• मोचयत्: frees/redeems
• मोचयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पशुभ्यात्: from animals (i.e., from animal state)
• पशुभ्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• नरम्: a man
• नरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya instructs pilgrims: donors present gold, silver, copper vessels, strings of pearls, and a cow with calf; a land-grant deed or symbolic clod of earth is offered near a riverbank hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dāna (gold, silver, copper, gems, pearls, land, cows)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Substantial, dharmic charity—especially land and cows—purifies and loosens the soul’s bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is delivered within the Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha context, supporting tīrtha-based dāna practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give valuables (metals, gems), and especially perform bhūmi-dāna and go-dāna as highly praised charities.