Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

दानवानां वधार्थाय जयाय च दिवौकसाम् । भूमिदानेन विप्रेन्द्रांस्तर्पयित्वा यथाविधि

Transliteration

dānavānāṃ vadhārthāya jayāya ca divaukasām | bhūmidānena viprendrāṃstarpayitvā yathāvidhi

Translation

Pour l’abattement des Dānavas et la victoire des habitants du ciel, après avoir, selon le rite, comblé les plus éminents brāhmanes par le don de terres.

Word by Word

• दानवानाम्: of the demons (Dānavas)
• दानवानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वधार्थाय: for the purpose of slaying
• वधार्थाय: Prayojana (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ

• जयाय: for victory
• जयाय: Prayojana (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• दिवौकसाम्: of the gods (heaven-dwellers)
• दिवौकसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवौकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• भूमिदानेन: by (means of) a gift of land
• भूमिदानेन: Karana (करण/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विप्रेन्द्रान्: the best of brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेन्द्रान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• तर्पयित्वा: having satisfied
• तर्पयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); णिजन्त-धातु (causative)

• यथाविधि: according to rule; duly
• यथाविधि: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Senāpura / Cakra-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual pavilion near the tīrtha: brāhmaṇas seated in rows receiving bhūmi-dāna documents/symbolic earth, being honored and ‘tarpita’; in the background, devas prepare for battle against Dānavas under Mahāsena’s command.

Characters & Entities

• Dānavas
• Devas
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened through dāna; righteous victory is portrayed as resting on proper ritual order and honoring brāhmaṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region, but this verse specifically highlights dāna as a dharmic prerequisite rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhūmidāna (gift of land) to eminent brāhmaṇas, performed yathāvidhi (according to śāstric procedure).