Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

स्नानं दानं जपो होमः स्वाध्यायो देवतार्चनम् । पिण्डोदकप्रदानं च तथैवातिथिपूजनम्

Transliteration

snānaṃ dānaṃ japo homaḥ svādhyāyo devatārcanam | piṇḍodakapradānaṃ ca tathaivātithipūjanam

Translation

Le bain rituel, l’aumône, la récitation des mantras, l’offrande au feu, l’étude védique, le culte des divinités, l’offrande de piṇḍa et d’eau aux ancêtres, et de même l’accueil honoré des hôtes—

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Item in list/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दानम्: giving, charity
• दानम्: Karta (Item in list/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जपः: recitation (japa)
• जपः: Karta (Item in list/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• होमः: fire-offering (homa)
• होमः: Karta (Item in list/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वाध्यायः: self-study (Vedic study)
• स्वाध्यायः: Karta (Item in list/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svādhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देवतार्चनम्: worship of deities
• देवतार्चनम्: Karta (Item in list/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवतायाः अर्चनम्)

• पिण्डोदकप्रदानम्: offering of rice-balls and water (to ancestors)
• पिण्डोदकप्रदानम्: Karta (Item in list/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa + udaka + pradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समाहार/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पिण्डस्य उदकस्य च प्रदानम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis particle)

• अतिथिपूजनम्: honoring guests
• अतिथिपूजनम्: Karta (Item in list/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atithi + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अतिथेः पूजनम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composite pilgrimage day on a river ghat: devotees bathing, a donor giving alms, a yogin counting japa beads, a small homa fire, a scholar reciting, a priest offering flowers to a deity, a family performing tarpaṇa/piṇḍa, and a householder welcoming guests with food and water.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• devatā (deities)
• pitṛ (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained through disciplined daily acts—purification, generosity, worship, study, and hospitality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse outlines universal dharma-practices often performed at sacred rivers and tīrthas such as the Revā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna, dāna, japa, homa, svādhyāya, devatā-arcana, piṇḍa-and-water offerings to ancestors, and atithi-pūjana.