Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अमी कार्याः सुवस्त्रेण छन्नगुह्या द्विजोत्तमाः । प्राजापत्याश्चतुर्विंशसहस्राणि नरेश्वर

Transliteration

amī kāryāḥ suvastreṇa channaguhyā dvijottamāḥ | prājāpatyāścaturviṃśasahasrāṇi nareśvara

Translation

«À ces meilleurs des deux-fois-nés, il faut donner de bons vêtements, leurs parties intimes étant convenablement couvertes. Parmi ceux qui suivent la discipline prājāpatya, ils sont vingt-quatre mille, ô seigneur des hommes.»

Word by Word

• अमी: these (people)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amī (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कार्याः: should be made/are to be
• कार्याः: Predicate (Vidheyavisheshana)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त, यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be made/should be)

• सुवस्त्रेण: with good clothing
• सुवस्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su- (उपसर्ग) + vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सुन्दरं वस्त्रम्)

• छन्नगुह्याः: with private parts covered
• छन्नगुह्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छद् (धातु) → छन्न (कृदन्त, क्त) + गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भाव (गुह्यं छन्नं येषाम्)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः)

• प्राजापत्याः: belonging to Prajāpati; prājāpatya
• प्राजापत्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prājāpatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• चतुर्विंशसहस्राणि: twenty-four thousand
• चतुर्विंशसहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturviṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (चतुर्विंशतिः सहस्राणि)

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A leader (nareśvara) is advised to distribute clean garments to large groups of dvijas; attendants hold folded cloth; ascetics stand in orderly lines, modestly covered.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Dvijas (Brāhmaṇas)
• Prajāpatya-vratins
• Nareśvara (addressed ruler)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes practical support and dignified modesty—spiritual communities should be maintained with appropriate provisions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revākhaṇḍa sacred region is the setting; the verse focuses on community organization within that holy landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription of vastra-provision/vastra-dāna (providing proper garments) to vow-keepers.