Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे तु यद्दानं ब्रह्मोद्दिश्य प्रयच्छति । तदक्षयफलं सर्वमित्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe tu yaddānaṃ brahmoddiśya prayacchati | tadakṣayaphalaṃ sarvamityevaṃ śaṅkaro'bravīt

Translation

En ce tīrtha, tout don offert en gardant Brahmā (ou le Brahman) à l’esprit porte un fruit entièrement impérissable. Ainsi parla Śaṅkara.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘there’

• तीर्थे: at the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): emphasis

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma/Karta (relative-correlative; refers to दानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• दानम्: gift/donation
• दानम्: Karma (Object of ‘gives’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विषय/कर्म-निर्देश (the gift)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman / the Absolute
• ब्रह्म: Sampradana (Intended recipient/for Brahman)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; उद्देश्यम् (object intended)

• उद्दिश्य: intending (for)
• उद्दिश्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive): ‘having intended/aiming at’

• प्रयच्छति: gives
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘gives/bestows’

• तत्: that (gift)
• तत्: Karta (Subject of nominal predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; correlative to यत्

• अक्षयफलम्: imperishable fruit/result
• अक्षयफलम्: Vidhaya (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (अक्षयं फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate complement)

• सर्वम्: entire/all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies तत्/अक्षयफलम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakyartha-marker (Quotation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle): end of quotation ‘thus’

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘in this manner’

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘said/spoke’

Speaker

Śiva (explicit: 'śaṅkaro'bravīt')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim audience within the Revā-khaṇḍa discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the riverbank offers a cow or gold/food to a worthy recipient, hands extended in dāna-mudrā; above, a subtle vision of Brahmā (four-faced) or a formless radiance signifies ‘Brahman-uddishya’; Śiva as Śaṅkara stands as witness.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Brahmā/Brahman
• Dāna
• Brahmatīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity offered at a sanctified place with sacred intention yields imperishable merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmatīrtha, the tīrtha under praise in Adhyāya 129 of Revā-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dāna at the tīrtha, dedicating it to Brahmā/Brahman (brahmoddiśya).